I live in New Brunswick but would like to start composting this fall for a garden next year. I'm trying to prepare the soil but am doing so quite blindly (from a couple very good gardening books). I was just wondering if I can compost in the fall despite our harsh winters, will it freeze? And if it freezes, what does that mean for it?
Start anytime, it will freeze, it will not harm it as it will just thaw and get to work again in the spring, I continue to throw things ontop of the frozen compost pile in the winter as it will get back to work in the spring. Just make sure you do lots of layers. Layer or carbon (newspaper, leaves, any dead plant material), layer of nitrogen (anything living, green plants, food scraps). And just keep alternating. Things like muscles or oyster shells are great because they don't decompose very fast, they are hard so provide a sort of natural aeration and when they finally do decompose provide calcium for the soil. Being on the east coast you should be able to get a good supply of these shells. Keeping enough carbon is the biggest challenge I have. Im always taking 5 or 6 local newspapers that are free and shredding them. In the fall I take bags of leaves people are throwing out for the city and store them in my backyard, its never enough to keep up with the nitrogen I put in. Good luck.
Hey you can always compost. Whether or not you want to compost in place or start a compost pile. Winter is great time to add material, especially organic junk, because it doesn't smell as much in the winter, but it does break down.
Carbon, since when is carbon a nutrient that plants need. Carbon forms diamonds, but I've never heard of it being a necessary nutrient for plants. Newspaper makes a great weedblock.
