HOW LONG will it take to get finished compost?
It depends. A pile of at least 3 x 3 x 3 ft. is insulated enough to get hot in the middle, so it will decompose much faster. If you have a good carbon to nitrogen ratio of 2:1, it will also be faster. Turning the pile accelerates it (due to improved aeration), so your compost will go faster if you turn often. Chopping the material up into small pieces also speeds up the pile, by increasing the surface area for decomposition. At minimum, you can get finished compost in just a few weeks, about one month. But its also fine to have a slow pile, if youre in no hurry! If you never turn the pile, it could decompose slowly over a couple years The end product will be just as good, either way.
