Ever notice your compost pile steaming or turning white and dusty? Compost heats up because microorganisms are breaking down organic matter. Some of these organisms have body temperatures that run up to 150 degrees, hot enough to kill weed seeds and pathogens. Have you seen white or gray, ashlike compost particles forming. It isn’t ash, it’s fungal threads that beneficial microbes create to decompose plant material. Warm compost with white patches means your compost is active, healthy, and well on its way to becoming rich garden soil.
Growing Home - Why Compost Heats Up
