Unfinished Compost

[ninnymary]

I feel like my planting time is just around the corner. I can start planting some things in mid-February. My problem is that my compost is not ready yet. In one of my bins, you can still see pretty much the pine shavings, which take some time to break down. My other bin has new leaves and kitchen scraps that haven't decompost. You can still recognize what they are.

I do everything I can to cook my compost faster, like keeping it moist, and turning it every other day. Most of the time it does not stay hot for long periods of time. It is usually cold composting.

Should I leave my compost in the bins to finish cooking? or would they break down faster if I worked them into my soil?

Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know what the experts do or the state of your compost. When it is about ready, I sift mine through a screen made form 1/2" hardware cloth. If it goes through, it goes on the garden. If it does not go through, it goes into my next compost batch.

 

[Kassaundra]

Mine mostly cold composts too, but I'm lazy, I pile it up and forget it. I know I should turn it and all, but there are so many other things that need to be done I never get around to it. I don't know the answer to your question though. I was half way considering using my compost (mostly wood chips and pig poo) as mulch this coming growing season, by the time I need mulch it should be several months old, and from everything I've read if you use it as mulch on top of the soil it doesn't rob nitrogen from the soil, but if you turn it under into the soil as it breaks down is when it uses the soils nitrogen.

 

[April Manier]

Don't turn so often. Get some red wigglers in there too. You can cover loosely with black plastic to keep heat up. Put some green in with the pine shavings?

A watched pot never boils.....

 

[ninnymary]

April, I do have worms in there. The problem is that I have very little grass clippings to add to it, especially now during winter.

Mary

 

[catjac1975]

Try adding something very green to the compost and some manure.

 

[ninnymary]

catjack, every week when I clean my coop I add the chicken poop. I'm guessing with 6 chickens that I have plenty.

Mary

 

[HunkieDorie23]

If you want to get it hot to cook you need to add green grass. It will heat up fast. I still don't know if it will be ready by feb. Maybe buy a bag and add to your soil then side dress your plants with your compost when it's ready. I had a lot of grass in mine last year and it took about 3 months to look like just compost.

 

[galanie]

I think you're turning it too much but I could be wrong. I wait till mine cools down to turn it. Seems like if heating is good, then I need to allow it to heat without messing with it.

In answer to the question though, I often put "unfinished" compost in the garden and it doesn't seem to have any negative effects at all. It finishes darn quick with soil contact.

 

[vfem]

I don't turn mine enough... however, mine's not done either. I'm creating a sifter to get out the good stuff, and through the rest back in the pile. Oh well!