Appreciation post: My compost pile hit 140 degrees and I was wrong about the whole thing

I always thought my compost was just a slow, cold pile of leaves and kitchen scraps. Then I got a basic thermometer and checked it this morning after turning it. The reading was 140 degrees, which is way hotter than I ever thought my little backyard setup could get. It turns out the right mix of greens and browns, plus turning it every week, actually makes a huge difference. Has anyone else been surprised by a simple check like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

nancyramirez26d ago

Guess my compost is smarter than I am, huh?

bell.jessica1mo ago

lol that reminds me of the time I tried to grow tomatoes and thought they were totally dead. I was about to pull them out when my neighbor pointed out all the tiny green buds I missed. Sometimes you just need that one piece of info to see things totally different.

vera291mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's the worst feeling! I always poke the stem a little with my fingernail now, if it's still green under the surface it's alive. Saved my basil plant that way last month, looked totally brown and done for.

jamesc791mo ago

My uncle's old pickup truck sat broken in his yard for two years before a mechanic friend noticed a single loose wire. @bell.jessica, that's so true about missing the small signs. It's crazy how one person can spot what you've looked right past.