You may not be able to hot compost in the winter in N.H. and you may end up picking out some branches and twigs next spring, but you will definitely have compost. No matter what.

There are some who can hot compost in cold regions but in 20+ years of composting I've never been able to do that. Come January when its -20F my compost is cold as a mackerel but I do have compost come Spring. I use 4' vinyl coated 3"x4" wire mesh (two bins) and it has lasted many years and still is holding up. Bins are 4x6x4 feet.

tj

If your C:N ratio is close to the optimal 30:1 and the moisture of the material in your compost pile is close to optimal (not too wet and not too dry) the bacteria that will digest that material will continue working all winter, in the more protected areas of your compost. Compost piles smaller than a 4 x 4 size will tend to freeze deeper into the pile than that 4 x 4 size will.

I don't take any grief from my compost pile. I use it when I'm ready---not when it's ready. And I have never seen any evidence of nitrogen tie-up. Of course I use only briefly composted manure*, too, so... In a reasonably well-built pile, you should easily be able to have compost in six months in N.H.

I go into winter with at least 6 fresh bins, and when I need compost in the spring, I start with the oldest. Anything too unbroken down, I toss back into the wire bin that I've set in its new position next to its old position. I use my chunkiest compost as a mulch, and I fork my most finished compost into my vegetable beds.

The latest I have ever gotten steam from a compost pile in Maine was late-Dec, but I don't try very hard. Different story in my chicken house where I use a deep litter method, much of which is leaves. I flipped it once during a long spell of negative teen temps and it poured steam. I cooled it off, though, by flipping and it never recovered heat.

* I used manures from 1974-2007 and only once had a problem (from overapplication) when I married a man with a dumptruck. kimmsr's got me scared now, though, so I'm composting this year's manure until fall.

How about a wire bin with several layers of cardboard around the inside? When the cardboard is placed inside the wire ring, lift it up off the ground about 2 inches for air flow. I don't know the R value of cardboard but I would think 2 or 3 layers would be decent for those mild northern New England winters. :) It should extend the composting time for a bit anyways.

Here is Bill Hill's setup, note the second picture, the bin on the right. I would just lift the cardboard up a bit and have multiple layers. (and a loose fitting top to contain heat)

Lloyd

Those bins look easy and great, and look easy to assemble should I need more bins. Wonderful! I have been saving boxes, as well, so that idea is very convenient. I had thought about trying to use styrofoam, but cardboard will definitely be easier and safer. I've just bought my big fork for turning, so soon I'll be ready to go!

Thanks for the assurance about compost. We'll be starting our vegetable garden next spring, and I sure would love to have ready compost--would save me quite a bit of $$!

I appreciate the inpute!

I was wondering the same thing. I just started my compost bin a week ago. Also I hope to get started on leaf mold as soon as the fall comes.

Y'all know how I hate bragging? well, I just figured out a genius way to make leaf mold. I brought about 100 bags (or whatever number I made up the last time I talked about this) bags of OPL home from the Brewer dump last fall and dumped them shoulder to shoulder all over the front yard. The 3 foot tall bumps all over the front lawn appealed to no one but me, but Snort! who's laughing now?
(Well, still only me, actually.) This year, between the rain, the chickens, and the painter, I have about a foot of the most beautiful, dark stuff all over the front "lawn".
If you have a place in your community that accepts yard waste for composting, you need to check it out. I could collect enough stuff for free from the Brewer dump to cover my yard 9 feet deep. Or something.

annpat, that is freaking brilliant. enough with the false modesty.

how did the painter help? maybe I shouldn't ask.

No, I really should continue with the false modesty for a while longer, but thank you for the "freaking brilliant".

OH!! I see what you're saying about the painter. I thought it was him treading through the leaves...

Lloyd's got it right about insulation. Once the pile gets going, if it is insulated, it should continue to decompose. I would be sure to put something over the top to limit the amount of cold rain and snow that percolates into the pile.

I use old leaf bags to cover my compost piles. It keeps moisture in, but, obviously it will keep moisture out, too.

I tried using a half empty bag of leaves on top of a bin as insulation. In theory it should work. The pile composted fine under the half empty bag of leaves but the experiment wasn't exactly scientific.

I happen to have a sheet of rigid foam board so I'll be making my new compost bins with that as insulation.