Hi RJ

At 140 it is telling me that it is still well in the thermophilic stage and is using lots of O2 so I would not consider it to be done. Somewhere, there is one criteria consisting of not getting X# of degrees above ambient air temp after a turn. (I just can't find the link now)

Lloyd

I'm surprised that it is still heating up after all this time. It might be a bit raw when you use it in April.

Building the compost pile right on the garden bed; that's one of those 'duh, why didn't I do that?' great ideas.

Yeah, I hope that it helps amend the soil it's been sitting on all winter. It's moved around several times since last fall. I had some onions in so that part never got covered but the rest did. I was still adding stuff like UCG and composted horse manure until last month when I started the new one, I'm sure that's why it still heats up. There's a big rain coming tomorrow, I hope to get it turned first. At least one more turn and I'll let it sit till it's time to use it.

I guess it'll be sorta like a lasagna bed if it's not purely compost. I have found a source for a very large 16lb bag of vermiculite to mix in the raised beds.

If the material in the compost pile is still identifiable as to what is was, and the compost still heats up, it is not yet finished. Finished compost looks like good, rich soil with not much, if any, identifiable bits and pieces of what went into it, and will be cool, and will smell like good, rich earth.

Thanks for all the info.

How long does this process take?
Obviously lots of conditions affect it - I guess.