Home made compost

My compost heap is very large, far too wet, only (usually) gets grass cuttings, and NEVER gets turned (because I am no longer as young as I was)
Nevertheless it produces very useable compost (it gets better as you get down to the bottom)
Now my leaf mould is a different kettle of fish
It is emptied every year, to make room for the new leaves, into large plastic bins. The stuff from these bins is great for mixing into the new holes dug to plant shrubs trees etc. Anything left in these the next year is then emptied into an old waste bin punctured with holes. At that stage the stuff is the 'Real McCoy' .... great crumbly 'soil' you could eat
The moral of the story?
Don't fuss too much about your compost. Mother nature will turn it into soil if you give her long enough. Leave science to the scientists, and enjoy your gardening .... gardening should be FUN, not a science course
This is this years compost turned out for a new bed to accept my Japanese maples. I will add some soil, used compost from pots, farmyard manure and I have been promised some mushroom compost Rotovated into the existing I will have a 'grand wee bed' raised sufficiently above the water table to provide nourishment and drainage

 

My compost heap and my leaf mould cage

 

Whis4ey, when i looked at your compost, my first thought was Mmmmmm... Mad or what

 

hehehehehe
Now .... what does THAT mean?

 

Excellant job Whis4ey - and you are quite right. I remember reading in a Beth Chatto book that she never turned her compost. Her attitude was that if it took longer - so what!

I leave mine in black bin bags, and never turn them. Let nature do the work.

 

It`s what worms were invented for.

 

Quite right David .... this years compost was absolutely FULL of good juicy worms
No wonder the Robins love living in our garden

 

Sam, they`re probably so bloated that they can`t fly anyway. :D