How to Know When Your Compost is Ready to Be Used

We've been composting since the summer and have had a large batch of compost come out of our tumber after only two months. The material in our composter looked like soil and smelled like soil. So, we stored it in an enclosed area in our side yard and started a new batch in the tumbler. The composting class that I took recommended that compost be allowed to sit for 2 -4 weeks to let some of the nitrogen leach out of it before putting it into the soil or using it as mulch. Too much nitrogen can really damage your plants.

Of course how much nitrogen your compost has in it will depend on what you've put into your compost pile/tumber. The right mix of 'greens' and 'browns' is more important than you might realize. This should be 60% 'brown', such as cardboard (shredded), paper towel and toilet paper rolls, newspaper, wood pellets or sawdust, or woody debris from your garden. Make sure that everything is in small pieces, like one inch or less. The 40% 'green' can be kitchen scraps and grass clippings. If the scraps are larger than one inch, cut them into smaller pieces. The more surface area to interact with the bacteria, the better. And, NO citrus, onion or spicy! Then, keeping the compost moist will help the heat producing bacteria do it's job. The compost should feel like a sponge that's been squeezed of all it's moisture to be sure you have the correct amount of moisture. Finally the heat producing bacteria that breaks it all down needs air, so if you've got a compost tumber, give it a turn every day. If you're not so fortunate and have a compost pile on the ground, get out that pitchfork and move the compost from the outside to the inside at least every other week. And, once again, adding a compost boost product that will enhance the production of bacteria will speed up and simplify this whole process!

And when the composted material looks like soil, smells like soil and has set for a little bit, you will really enjoy mixing it into your garden soil or using it as mulch to keep moisture in the soil and to discourage weed growth. I like to put it on pretty thick for this purpose alone.
Happy Composting!