Restart the rot!

While distracted by wilting leaves and gasping pot plants, it’s easy to forget that detritivores and microfauna need water, too, and when the weather gets hot and dry, the plant material in a desiccated compost heap will simply stop breaking down. To get it going again, dampen the top, then turn the compost and water it again – two watering cans should do the trick. Repeat the process over several days if necessary. Fortunately, rather than being dead, the bacteria will be dormant and the worms hidden in the still-moist depths, and once conditions are warm and moist, decomposition will continue apace.