Compost - when will I know

[mc55]

I was inspired to turn my compost heap at the weekend and was extremely surprised and delighted to see that it is now brown, crumbly and very composty. I think that the majority is probably ready for using - very exciting as its my first home made compost.

Q - what do I use it for now - I've sown most of my seeds already and potted on quite a lot of stuff.  Have the tomato, aubergine & pepper ring cultures still to set up - would it be suitable for them?  Or should I be adding it to my beds to improve the soil ?

Also - should I riddle it, and if so, why ?

sorry for all the Qs, I'll know better next time.
mc

[mc55]

[saddad]

We produce hundreds of litres at a time one bin can fill up to a dozen 80l plastic sacks. I don't riddle or sterilise so don't use it for seedlings but for top dressing beds and larger pots.. eg Potatoes in buckets...
;D

[telboy]

mc55,
The anwer is - Yes - Use it!
Don't riddle it - Use it.
Get it in the soil where it does it's work.
Enjoy!

[Old bird]

Hi - How exciting!

Remember that home made compost goes a long, long way and not to use it like the bought stuff as home made stuff is packed with many more goodies than the bought stuff.

Old Bird
:D

[cornykev]

I've emptied two bins out on the soil, some twigs went back in the bin and some wet stuff was mulched around the fig and gooseberry plants, not what I expected though.  ??? ;D ;D ;D

[kt.]

I started some 5-6 months ago in a dalek compost bin. Checked it today after reading this thread by lifting the lid at the bottom. There is plenty of creature activity but it seems a long way off becoming compost. No crumbling soil like substance at all - just some slimy goo type stuff thingy.

Hopefully the warmer weather will speed things up or has it all gone wrong somewhere. It is about 60% chicken cree waste but I did not think this would still make that much of a difference.

[mc55]

mine is outside, in a pallet construction with a carpet over it, its moist, but certainly not wet or slimy.

[Suzanne]

I made 2 compost bins out of pallets - was the first thing I did in 2004 when I first got my lottie. I now have compost from the last section every six months. And today turned out the stuff that has been there since Oct last year. Most was crumbly - some uinfinished - but it doesn't really matter as I use it to improve the soil.

Each year it has done wonders for my beds - which were basically subsoil when I started. I don't riddle it and I don't sterilise it. Sometmes I get lots of volunteer tomatoes (seeds from last years spolit ones) - but to my mind this proves it's good!

I never have grown these tomotoe volunteers on though - can anyone let me know whether they are likely to be good or not?
 

[Robert_Brenchley]

They should be as they self-pollinate and breed true.

[milkybardave]

No crumbling soil like substance at all - just some slimy goo type stuff thingy.

Sounds like you need more "browns" (cardboard, Shredded newspaper etc etc) to be able to obtain the right consistency.

Dave

[Marymary]

We've got 3 large wooden compost bins which produce compost every 6 months or so in succession.  We also have a black darlek which we have really given up on - it takes literally years to get anything useful out of it.