normally be ready about 2 months later.
Compost does not necessarily need to be turned. If you
do not, the pile takes longer to cure, but you will
probably produce more cured compost per unit of built
material. This is because less oxidation may occur
compared to when you turn the pile. If you turn the
compost frequently, you will have cured compost faster,
but may produce less cured compost per unit of built
material.
Compost is ready to use when it is dark and rich
looking and it crumbles in your hands. The texture
should be even, and you should not be able to discern
the original source of materials. Mature compost even
smells good—like water in a forest spring! A GROW
BIOINTENSIVE pile should be ready in 3 to 6 months.^3
Parts of a regular compost pile that have not broken
down completely by the end of the composting period
should be placed at the bottom of a new pile. This is
especially true for twigs and small branches that can use
the extra protection of the pile’s height to speed up their
decomposition in a situation of increased warmth and
moisture.
In the garden a maximum maintenance dressing of ½
inch of compost should be added to the soil annually
before the main crop, and, if possible, before each
additional 4- to 6-month crop. Guidelines for general
maintenance dressings are a^1 ⁄ 8 - to ½-inch layer of
compost (1 to 4 cubic feet) per 100 square feet, if
available.