table of contents
- Why turn compost?
- The best time to implement compost
- How often do you turn compost?
- Required material
- Moving compost: step-by-step instructions
- frequently asked Questions
Moving compost is a sensible measure for a number of reasons. Everything you need to know and step-by-step instructions for correct implementation can be found here.
In a nutshell
- Turn compost at least once a year
- Separation of degraded and unfinished compost
- Redeployment for faster humus development
- Easy and quick to do
Why turn compost?
The main reason for an implementation / redeployment of Compost heap is the quick humus formation and consequently quicker use as fertilizer. In addition, relocation ensures less space is required, which makes relocation particularly useful when the composter overflows or is about to be reached. In detail, the implementation brings the following advantages:
- Loosening for improved air permeability accelerates decomposition by microorganisms
- new mixing of materials for faster rotting
- Favoring independent heat generation and more even distribution for better living conditions for the microorganisms
- Reduction in volume by sifting out ready-to-use compost
The best time to implement compost
A composter can theoretically be shifted all year round, provided it is not frozen. However, the times in early spring and autumn bring the best arguments for implementation. In addition, for the optimal time, you should ensure that the compost heap has dried off a little after several rain-free days.
Early spring / winter end
When the temperatures thaw the compost heap in February, the most suitable time has come for implementation. At this point, this helps to reactivate the rotting process, which stops during the winter season. This leads to the following advantages:
- Microorganisms are awakened from hibernation and start working again
- sufficient remaining time for humus development in time for the start of the gardening season
- sifted out finished material is already available for bed preparation and initial fertilization
Tip: Compost fertilization should only be carried out where "early" plant varieties are present, planted or sown. Varieties that only wake up from winter dormancy in May could be "disturbed" by fertilizing the compost too early.
Implementation in autumn
Plenty of compost usually accumulates in the garden during and after the summer season, for example through numerous lawn cuttings, tree and shrub cutbacks as well leaves. The last possible fertilization for most of the plants is due in early autumn, so that this can be optimally combined with implementation. In addition, the autumn implementation also has other advantages:
- From the first frost onwards, pests in the compost heap continuously die off
- better ventilation facilitates freezing, which leads to improved compost quality
- less gardening in spring when fertilization is done in autumn
How often do you turn compost?
Implementation should be carried out at least once a year. Depending on the required availability of humus, this should be done in early spring or autumn. However, it does not speak against implementing it two or more times a year. Experienced hobby gardeners with high fertilizer requirements often move their compost heaps every two months so that valuable humus is available even faster. In the case of a lot of garden / compost waste, such as those generated in larger and very plant-rich gardens, repositioning it several times a year is recommended, especially to reduce volume.
Required material
Before starting the implementation, the following required utensils should be available to hand:
- shovel
- Digging fork or pitchfork
- large sieve plate or special compost sieve (size at least 80 x 80 centimeters, mesh size 19 x 19 millimeters)
- Work or garden gloves
- new compost container if necessary
- fresh garden / compost waste
Tip: If you fill the sieved material into a new compost container when moving, you will noticeably save yourself Workload, because you can start the stratification directly after each sieving and thus from top to bottom "turn around".
Moving compost: step-by-step instructions
| steps | activities |
|---|---|
| 1. Shovel sample | - If compost falls off the shovel easily, it is dry enough to move |
| 2. Apply a new composter coating | - branches, wood chips etc. use |
| 3. Sieve out material | - Remaining on sieve in new composter (top layers now as bottom layers) - Remove coarse branches, stones and other non-rotting material - what is sifted is finished humus; is put aside |
| 4. Fill compost in the 3rd layer system | – 1. Layer of unfinished "old" compost (between 20 and 30 centimeters high) – 2. Layer: distribute one or two scoops of ready-to-use humus evenly and thickly on the surface – 3. Layer: add fresh garden waste |
| 5. Water the converted compost heap | |
| 6. Work the remaining ripe compost into the bedding soil |
Tip: In order to achieve the composting goal even better and faster, compost accelerators can also be mixed in. In order to prevent fungal infestation, it is also advisable to bring in rock flour.
frequently asked Questions
The more inclined you position the sieve, the more fine-grain humus will pass through the sieve. However, the sieve should not be too steep, so that sieving can take place at all and the material does not simply fall down to the side. A slope between 45 degrees and 65 degrees is ideal for sifting out the best humus.
Frequent implementation is the best method. You can also water in dry weather conditions. The moisture promotes rotting and you get valuable humus accordingly faster. You can also use liquid manure made from valerian leaves, nettles, fern fronds and comfrey as a compost accelerator. After fermentation, however, it must be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10. You can then use it to water the compost heap once or twice a week, depending on the weather.
In order to encourage rotting, it is important when moving that the previous stratification changes. This means that what was previously up in the composter must now be layered at the bottom. You can compare this to digging, which also moves the lower layers upwards and the upper layers downwards. If you sift everything in one pile, you will need the immature, compostable material accordingly "dig up" once so that the previous upper layers are the first to be filled into the composter can.
