homemade compost – ripe or unripe in fall application?

[zuf]

Usualy there is quite enough unripe homemade compost in fall and i think if it’s valuable to finish it and use it ripe in spring or just use it most of it unripe in fall application.

Thank you!

[charles]

Hello Zuf, I find it works best to spread reasonably mature compost and it any looks too lumpy and undecomposed I would leave it to spread in the spring.

[zuf]

Would you not use it mainly because of slugs or because the tilth in spring is not good enough? I’m talking about lumpy unfinished compost, with lots of dark matter already, but quite a lot of bits and pieces still inside – i wonder if tilth would be good enough in spring? What was the least decomposed compost you used in winter and you had good tilth in spring? Thanks again!

[charles]

Yes mainly slugs. However it depends what you plan to plant in the spring, say it is onions, which are less interesting to slugs or summer beans which go in later when its usually drier, then it can be ok.  Also large plants such as squash don’t mind lumps.

Also cold winters with frost help the breakdown more than wet, warm winters such as we had here last year, so in your climate its worth a try. Keep us posted with how it works, maybe take a photo after spreading, then same bed in the spring.

[godders]

Just like to know storing homemade compost what timescale will it be still ok for nutrients etc for putting on veg beds

[charles]

Nutrients in compost are mostly water insoluble and stay available for a long time in a heap. Its more the life qualities that diminish, such as fungi, and it loses volume too.
I aim to spread my homemade compost at age 8 to 18 months.

[godders]

Thankyou Charles I’m in the position of having then maybe too much compost to use in next growing season I have 4 bins from pallets 5ftx5ft and 6plastic compost bins full and decomposed ready to use I’m in the enviable position of 2farms supplying farmyard manure 2small independent breweries with spent hops and a local fruit n veg stall give me his waste about 6apple boxes every weekday evening with all kinds of fruit n veg I also gather leaves for leafmold it keeps me busy

[Author]

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