How Water Affects Compost

Part of the Video Series How to Compost

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Compost needs a certain amount of water to break down correctly, but too much water can keep the compost from getting enough air. Learn how to make sure your compost pile has the right amount of water in this free organic gardening video.

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How Water Affects Compost
One of the elements of composting is water. You have to have water for it to heat up and for the bacteria to be able to do what they need to do. And for things to break down. If you have too much water, than you compost gets sort of spongy and sticks together, and it doesn’t have enough air. And without the air, the microbes won’t grow and it begins to smell bad. Since your compost is outside, it’s exposed to the rain, and some gardeners say to cover your compost with a tarp during periods of heavy rain. I just let the rain fall into it and it runs through and it nourishes these trees that are doing so well. And I just let it be a natural process. And that’s because I live in a climate that isn’t normally too wet and gets very hot in my climate, and if I lived in a place such as Oregon, I would cover my compost when it rains.

About the Expert

Expert: Gale Gassiot makes her own organic compost or "gardener's black gold." Read More