Dry outer shell

01Symptom

The outside 20-30 cm of the pile is dry, light-coloured and unchanged after months, while the core is finished.

1 published log ran into this — linked in section 04.

02Why it happens

03What to do

1. 01 Water the new core as you rebuild, not the surface of the old pile.
2. 02 Dish the top of the pile slightly so rain collects instead of running off.
3. 03 Cover with a breathable fleece once the pile drops below 40 °C.
4. 04 Weight the fleece with bricks rather than sealing the pile with plastic.

04Where this has come up in the logs

• batch logA 6 m windrow of municipal green waste, turned four times05 Oct 2026 · windrow · 30:1 · 78 °C

05Related logs