How to Get Finished Compost in 30 Days

Composting is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to recycle organic waste, but it often comes with one significant downside: it takes time. While traditional composting can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months, sometimes even longer, there are ways to speed up the process.

If you’re eager to get your hands on finished compost in a shorter amount of time, good news: it’s possible! With the right techniques, you can turn your food scraps, leaves, and yard waste into rich, dark, crumbly compost in just 30-60 days. Professional composters often achieve this in 2-4 weeks. And with a bit of effort, home composters can do the same. Let’s dive into how you can accelerate the composting process and get finished compost much faster.

Why Composting Usually Takes So Long

To understand how to speed up composting, it helps to know what typically slows things down. Let’s break down the main reasons why composting can take longer than expected:

1. Large Particle Sizes

The size of the materials you add to your compost pile plays a huge role in how quickly they break down. Large chunks of organic matter take much longer to decompose than smaller, shredded material.

Example:

A whole watermelon rind takes much longer to break down than chopped-up pieces of the same rind. This is because there’s less surface area for microbes and bacteria to work on.

2. Poor Moisture Levels

Composting requires the right balance of moisture.

Too dry:

When the compost pile is too dry, the bacteria and fungi responsible for breaking down the material won’t be able to work efficiently. The composting process slows dramatically.

Too wet:

Conversely, if the compost pile is too wet, it can create anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen), which will also slow down decomposition. Wet, anaerobic piles also develop a rotten smell, which is not ideal.

For compost to break down quickly, it needs to be kept moist but not soggy—the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.

3. Imbalanced Ratios of Greens and Browns

Composting materials are classified into greens and browns:

• Greens are high in nitrogen, like food scraps, grass clippings, and coffee grounds.
• Browns are carbon-rich materials, like dry leaves, cardboard, straw, and wood chips.

A compost pile that has too many greens will get too “hot” and may smell like ammonia. Too many browns will make the pile too dry and slow the decomposition process. The ideal ratio is about 2 parts browns to 1 part greens.

4. Lack of Oxygen

Oxygen is essential for composting. When a compost pile is not turned or aerated, it can become anaerobic, meaning it lacks oxygen. Anaerobic piles break down much more slowly and can create foul odors, such as the smell of rotting food. Turning the pile introduces oxygen and allows beneficial microbes to thrive, speeding up the decomposition process.

5. Not Enough Mass

Small compost piles struggle to generate enough heat to break down materials quickly. The heat generated by decomposition is crucial to speeding up the process. If your pile is too small (under 3 feet x 3 feet), it won’t retain enough heat to decompose quickly.

A larger pile retains more heat, which is key to hot composting. A pile that is at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet can generate enough heat for efficient decomposition.

By addressing all five of these factors, you can dramatically increase the speed of your composting process.

The Fast Composting Method

The method we’re discussing here is often called “hot composting” or “Berkeley hot composting.” While it requires more effort than traditional cold composting, it can produce finished compost much faster—typically in 30-60 days. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Gather Enough Material

To speed up composting, you need to build a pile that’s large enough to generate sufficient heat. Aim for a pile that’s at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet in size. Smaller piles won’t hold heat as well, which is why they decompose more slowly.

When gathering materials, use the 2:1 ratio of browns to greens. Here's what you need to gather:

• 2 parts browns: Dry leaves, straw, cardboard, sawdust, shredded paper.
• 1 part greens: Fresh grass clippings, food scraps (vegetable peels, coffee grounds), plant cuttings.

As a rough estimate, you’ll need several garbage bags of browns (e.g., dry leaves) and one garbage bag of greens (e.g., food scraps). If you're working with larger yard waste, consider how much volume each material adds.

Step 2: Shred Everything

This is the most important step to accelerate decomposition. The smaller the particles, the faster they break down. Shredding increases surface area, which allows microbes to access and break down the material much quicker.

• Run over leaves with a lawn mower to shred them.
• Shred cardboard with an office shredder or manually break it into smaller pieces.
• Chop food scraps into smaller pieces to ensure faster breakdown.
• Break up large materials by hand, especially woody or tough items like twigs.

Aim for pieces no larger than 2 inches. The smaller, the better.

Step 3: Build the Pile in Layers

Building your compost pile in layers ensures even mixing and adequate moisture throughout.

• Start with 4-6 inches of browns (e.g., dry leaves, cardboard, straw).
• Add 2-3 inches of greens (e.g., food scraps, grass clippings).
• Optional: Sprinkle a bit of soil between the layers to introduce beneficial microorganisms that help decompose the materials.
• Water each layer to ensure it’s moist but not dripping.

Repeat the layering process until your pile is at least 3 feet tall. The goal is to create a mixture that’s well-aerated, evenly damp, and the right size to retain heat.

Step 4: Monitor Temperature

Within 24-48 hours, your compost pile should start heating up. This is a good sign—it means the decomposition process is kicking into high gear. The temperature in the center of the pile is crucial to speed up composting.

• Optimal temperature: 130–150°F (54–65°C)
• Too cool (below 130°F): Add more greens or check moisture levels. A cooler pile means decomposition is slow.
• Too hot (above 160°F): Turn the pile and add some water to cool it down. If it’s too hot, bacteria and fungi can die off, which will slow the process.

A compost thermometer is a great tool to help you track the temperature inside your pile. You can find one for about $15–20.

Step 5: Turn Frequently

Hot composting requires frequent turning to keep the pile aerated and to ensure even decomposition.

Turning schedule:

• Days 1-14: Turn the pile every 2-3 days to keep it active and prevent it from cooling down.
• Days 15-30: Turn every 4-5 days.
• After Day 30: Turn weekly until the compost is finished.

Each time you turn the pile, move the outer material to the inside and mix thoroughly. This introduces oxygen, which accelerates decomposition. It also helps redistribute moisture and heat.

Tips for Even Faster Results

If you want to accelerate composting even further, here are some additional strategies you can use:

1. Add Compost Activators

Certain nitrogen-rich materials, known as compost activators, help jumpstart the decomposition process by feeding bacteria. These activators encourage faster bacterial activity and heat production.

Here are a few options:

• Fresh grass clippings: These are high in nitrogen and help to heat up the pile quickly.
• Coffee grounds: Another excellent source of nitrogen.
• Blood meal or alfalfa meal: Both are high-nitrogen and can kickstart the composting process.
• Urine: Yes, it sounds unusual, but urine is extremely rich in nitrogen and can rapidly accelerate composting. Just make sure to dilute it with water (about 10:1) before adding it to your pile.

2. Inoculate with Finished Compost

If you have access to finished compost, add a few shovelfuls to your pile. This introduces active microorganisms to the compost pile, which speeds up decomposition. These microbes will help break down material more efficiently.

3. Insulate the Pile

In cold weather, composting can slow down, so it’s important to retain heat in your pile. Surround the compost pile with straw bales or cover it with a tarp to help maintain heat and keep the microorganisms active, even during colder months.

4. Use a Compost Tumbler

If you want a convenient, space-efficient solution for turning your compost, consider investing in a compost tumbler. Tumblers are enclosed containers that make frequent turning easier and more efficient. They also help retain heat and moisture better than open piles, which helps speed up the process.

5. Avoid Slowing Factors

Some materials can slow down the composting process. To keep things moving quickly:

• Don’t add large woody pieces or branches, which decompose very slowly.
• Avoid whole vegetables (like large squash or pumpkins) that will take too long to break down.
• Excessive browns can also slow decomposition, as they reduce the amount of nitrogen in the pile. Balance is key.

Hot Composting vs. Cold Composting

Both hot and cold composting methods have their benefits. The key difference is the time and effort involved.

Hot Composting (This Method)

• Time: 30-60 days
• Effort: Requires frequent turning and monitoring.
• Benefits: Hot composting kills weed seeds and pathogens, producing cleaner compost. It’s also faster and more efficient, thanks to the heat generated by the active microbes.
• Disadvantages: It’s hands-on and requires more effort, but the payoff is quicker results.

Cold Composting (Passive Composting)

• Time: 4-12 months
• Effort: Set it and forget it. No turning necessary.
• Benefits: Easier, less work—just pile up your organic waste and leave it alone.
• Disadvantages: Takes longer and may not kill weed seeds or pathogens as effectively. The process is also slower.

Neither method is "better"—it depends on your timeline and effort tolerance. If you need compost quickly, hot composting is the way to go. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, passive system, cold composting works just fine, though it takes more patience.

Troubleshooting Fast Compost

Even with the best intentions, composting can occasionally run into issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot and keep things on track.

1. Pile Isn’t Heating

If your pile isn’t heating up, it could be due to several factors:

• Add more greens (high-nitrogen materials) to fuel bacterial activity.
• Check the moisture level—your pile might be too dry. Add water if it feels crumbly and dry.
• Pile might be too small: Ensure your pile is at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet to generate enough heat.
• Materials may not be shredded enough: Larger pieces take longer to break down. Shred everything into smaller bits to speed things up.

2. Pile Smells Bad

If your pile starts to emit unpleasant smells, here’s how to fix it:

• Ammonia smell: This usually means you have too much nitrogen. Add browns (carbon-rich materials like dry leaves, straw, or cardboard) to balance it out.
• Rotten smell: If it smells rotten, it may be too wet or anaerobic. Turn the pile and add more browns to help dry it out and encourage proper aeration.

3. Pile Is Too Hot (160°F+)

If your compost pile overheats (above 160°F), this can kill off beneficial bacteria.

• Turn the pile immediately to release excess heat.
• Add water to cool it down. This is a rare issue but can be resolved by turning and adjusting moisture.

4. Not Breaking Down Evenly

If the compost is breaking down unevenly, it’s often because the outside materials haven’t heated up enough.

• Turn the pile thoroughly and ensure you’re moving outside materials to the center where the heat is most concentrated.
• Increase turning frequency during the early days to make sure everything gets evenly decomposed.

The Fastest Option: Reencle Composters

If you find that hot composting still requires too much work, there’s another option: electric composters.

Your Reencle processes food scraps quickly, turning them into compost in as little as 24 hours to 2 weeks, depending on the model and input. They work differently from traditional composting, using heat and agitation rather than relying on biological decomposition. The output may not be identical to traditional compost, but for speed, our composters are unbeatable.

Trade-off:

While electric composters offer speed and ease, they come with a higher upfront cost. However, they require zero ongoing effort and can be a perfect solution for those looking for a quick composting option without turning piles or monitoring temperature.

When Fast Composting Makes Sense

Fast composting is ideal for specific situations. Here’s when it’s worth the extra effort:

Worth the effort when:

• You need compost for a specific planting date or project.
• You have abundant composting materials ready to go.
• You enjoy hands-on projects and are comfortable with frequent turning.
• You’re composting material with weed seeds (hot composting will kill them).

Not Worth the effort when:

• You can afford to wait 6 months for compost.
• You only generate small amounts of material that don’t justify frequent turning.
• You want a low-maintenance system that doesn’t require monitoring or effort.
• You’re not home often enough to turn the pile consistently.

The Bottom Line

Fast composting isn’t magic. It’s about optimizing the conditions that bacteria need to break down organic material as quickly as possible. By shredding material, balancing greens and browns, maintaining moisture, turning frequently, and keeping the pile heated, you can produce finished compost in just 30-60 days.

While it’s more work than passive composting, hot composting offers the speed and efficiency you need when you want compost now. Follow the steps carefully, and you’ll have rich, dark compost ready to improve your soil and help your plants thrive in no time.