Do you ever have the problem of not enough room in your compost bin? Every spring it happens to me. I pack it full of chopped leaves and grass in the fall, hoping that it will break down quickly before Winter sets in. Then it gets too cold, decomposition stops and the pile remains.

THEN, Spring hits; the leaves are still in the pile, I might toss in a few kitchen scraps to add some fresh greens, but it still does not work fast enough! So I add more and more and more.

Cleaning my pond didn't help speed up thing either. The pine tree over the pond shed quite a number of needles during the polar vortex and now the needles are sitting in the compost bin.

Gardening wisdom says that I should go out there and stir the pot. Get some oxygen in to pump up the decomposition. But I've got other things to do, like PLANT.

Do you stir and tend your compost… or leave it rot? How does your pile look right now?

On a side note: Just wanted to tell everyone that the Greengirls will be at Star Tribune Booth at the Friends Plant Sale this weekend at the State Fair Grounds! Friday 9 – 1 then Sunday 10 – noon. Stop on by and say "hi."