Seasonal Sunday: Harvesting that Compost

It's been a long winter and you are starting to get your garden ready. One of the things you will want to do is harvest the compost that you have been adding to all winter.  Spring is a good time to harvest to add to your garden and fall is another good time so that you can make room for fall cleanup as well as the long winter.

If you have a single composter, you are going to want to stop adding to it about three to four weeks before you are planning to harvest.  This gives things a chance to dry out a bit and it will save you from having to pick out freshly rotting things.  During these few weeks, try freezing your kitchen scraps so that you can add them into your bin after you complete your harvest.  If you add yard waste to your bin you can set it somewhere else during this time.  If you have two composters or a unit that has a divider, just add to the opposite bin or side while you let the one you are planning to harvest take a little rest.

Ideally, your compost should be on the drier side when you harvest it to make it easier to work with.  If yours isn't dry you can leave the container open to dry out or you can empty the compost onto a tarp to dry out that way.  If you are planning to screen your compost, you want to have it on the drier side or you will be pushing mush through a screen and that's just gross.

If you choose not to screen your compost, you can just pick out any larger pieces and toss them back into your bin to finish breaking down.  If you screen your compost, you want to place the screen over your wheelbarrow and either use a shovel to load it onto the screen or, depending on the type of compost bin you have, you can empty the compost directly onto the screen.  Pick out the pieces that don't fit through your screen and add them back into your bin to finish "cooking."  Egg shells are something that takes a long time to break down.  You can either toss them back into the bin or just leave them in the finished product.  Eggshells make a good natural slug deterrent.

Compost is great to add around the base of plants and around seedlings.  You can add some to any indoor plants that you have or just toss it around your lawn to give your grass a great natural fertilizer.  

If you don't have a compost screen you can buy one, make one yourself, or better yet, have your handsome husband build one for you!  The one my husband made comes right out of the book Composting for a new Generation by Michelle Balz.  

Here's what your husband will need:

*2 x 4 lumber (2) 48", (2) 21"

*2' x 2' galvanized hardware cloth (1/2 inch or 1/4 inch)

*Galvanized #10 screws, (12) 4"

*Staple gun and 1/2" staples

*Screwdriver

*Saw

*Hammer

*Tape measure

*Gloves

*Safety glasses

*Aviation shears or wire cutter

*Drill

I don't have a step by step on how to put it together.  I showed my husband the picture and he did the rest.  Big strong men don't need instructions anyway, right?  Below is what the finished product should look like.