What To Do with Unfinished Compost that I Can't Use
Question
April 29, 2024
I will be moving out of town later this summer. I was wondering what your composting recommendation is for people moving out of their house. One solution I came up with is to compost as usual up until the last possible minute, then dig a hole and bury my unfinished compost pile in the backyard. What do you recommend?
Answer(s)
Answer by WR: One question for you: Do you know who will be moving into the house you are leaving? I suppose if you know who will be moving in you might ask them if they'd like to take over your compost heap. (If they are interested but not sure how to begin you could suggest our free classes, assuming you are in the Albuquerque area: https://www.nmcomposters.org/classes ).
Answer by YW: I agreed with WR! You can leave a note to the future homeowner/tenant to encourage them to continue composing and taking care of the soil. Make home composting part of the package - it’s not “waste”, rather added value to the backyard and the ecosystem.
Response by questioner: I really appreciate you taking the time to consider my question and respond! Thank you for what you do!
Response by WR: Thanks! I don't think anyone answered your initial question about burying your unfinished compost. I don't see any problem with that if the person who moves in doesn't want to take over the compost heap. Would probably be best to bury it shallowly, close to the surface. You might sheet mulch it: https://www.nmcomposters.org/sheet-mulching
Would be a good idea to let people know where it is buried since if it is fresh it wouldn't be a good place to plant things right away.
Another option is to donate your organics. See: https://www.nmcomposters.org/organics-drop-off
That might be a lot of work depending on how much you have but might not be much more work than burying it. Let us know what you decide to do.
Response by RB: I might as well add my 2 cents worth in the form of a story. When my step mother in Portland OR was planning on selling her house, she made a point of letting her realtor know that all materials, such as the wooden flooring, etc. were natural rather than synthetic. She also made the same point about her organic gardening methods—she really wanted someone who felt the same way to buy the place. Indeed that is what happened. She didn’t have to remove her compost piles or make any changes when she sold the place to like-minded people. There are people out there who are interested in in composting, if your realtor lets people know, someone might show up. On the other hand, yes you can bury the unfinished compost, as both WR and YW have said. Good luck with everything.
Response by original questioner: Thank you, all! (I hope to someday be involved in a compost community - it's such a fun subject!) My house will also come with a greywater system for the washing machine, so it is pretty likely I will get a buyer who appreciates a good and well-established compost pile. But, if I need to shut the compost down before selling, I appreciate your guidance. Again, I really appreciate this conversation. Thank you for your time and expertise!