Nov
Making Compost - Is It Ready?
Compost may or may not actually be ready for use. In actual fact, compost that has been only partly prepared may harm the growth of plants by leaching nitrogen as it continues to decompose in the soil. Depending on the nature of the materials composting, it may contain materials toxic to plants. Some plants produce hormones that stop other plants from growing near them & competing for nutrients in the soil. These need full composting to break down & be rendered harmless. How is one to tell when the compost is ready & to what uses may it be put?
As in many an endeavor, experience is a great teacher & an experienced composter will tell if the process is finished by the texture & smell of the product. However - if your are not sure there’re a couple of ways to tell.
If you are hot composting & the pile has been active but has now cooled down, give it another turning, ensuring that the moisture content is correct for good composting, about the feel of a wrung out sponge. If the pile does not heat up after a day or two it is likely finished. Again, it should smell earthly sweet & have a crumbly texture. If it is finished use it & if it is not finished you have already turned it for the next heat & cool 
8) cycle.
An even more sure test is to take a sample of the compost, at least a good handful, & put it into a glass jar. Close the lid & place it in a warm, sunny location for about three days. Open the jar & take a smell. Sour smells mean the compost is not done & an earthy, rich smell means it is ready for use. If not done, you may either turn the pile or not but test it again in about a week. Once finished, compost may be used in a myriad of way.
At the end of the growing season or before it starts compost makes a great soil conditioner. As a rule of thumb one inch of compost is sufficient for soil that is already fairly good, & three inches for problem soil or a first year garden. One cubic foot of compost will cover 12 square feet of garden to one inch deep & four square feet of garden three inches deep. If about a third of a pile is lost during the composting process, a pile three feet high, wide & deep will produce about 18 cubic feet of compost. Fork the compost into the top three inches of soil & certainly no deeper than eight inches for best results.
During the season apply compost as a mulch for the growing plants. It will help to retain moisture in the soil & to suppress weeds. Use any where from one to three inches. Rainfall & watering will cause it to act as a slow release fertilizer as the water trickles through. Earthworms love it & will carry it down into the soil for you while they leave behind even richer castings for another plant boost.
For another plant boost during the growing season, make a compost tea by placing a good shovel full of compost in a burlap sack & placing it in a 5 gallon bucket of water in the hot sun for a week. Pour the resulting “tea” liberally over the plants to boost their growth. Unlike commercial liquid fertilizers, compost tea will not burn the plants & only encourage growth. The spent compost in the bag is still a good soil conditioner.
Whatever the use to which it is put, well finished compost will be loved by the garden & the gardener alike.
Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting & gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre & compost piles for each. His composting site may be easily found at Compost Central. You can become a master composter in no time at all. Compost is a great addition to any garden & is not very hard to make. For lots more information & instruction refer to Compost Central.
