Relax. I’d just bung the stuff you have out onto the garden, given that the manure is now several months old, is mixed with leaf mold and has already heated up once. Then start a new pile using any thing you have. Watering and turning are entirely optional. There is no ‘correct‘ and any compost is ’healthy’. Personally, I’m in the pile it up and forget it school. I believe I am ’truly composting’ just as much as the ratio, turning, temperature taking, fiddling school. I have never in my life bought material for composting as I consider it a waste disposal system as much as a soil conditioning and feeding system.

There is a saying in the gardening world......."compost happens". 😊 Meaning that any dead (or non-growing) organic matter will begin to break down, decompose and eventually turn to compost all on its own with NO human intervention required.

So all those recipes, formulas for 'browns' and 'greens' and suggested temperatures are only there to haste the process. It is entirely possible to create excellent compost by just piling up the stuff in a loose pile and leaving it untouched. This is called 'cold composting' and while it takes longer than an actively managed pile, the end result is just as good.

Just pile up what you have (ideally somewhere around 1 cubic yard - a pile 3' wide, 3' across and 3' deep) ad turn it as often as you remember :-) No watering necessary, although you never want it to be bone dry. It is the turning that introduces oxygen into the center of the pile that causes things to heat up.

btw, the only way you could have "unhealthy" compost is if it was contaminated with some sort of pesticide. Weed seeds and most common pathogens are killed off if the compost hits 130-140F for at least 3 days.

thanks yall. <3 ok rhen my question now is, at what point should i spread it on the garden? does it matter when? i was going to let it cook for a couple weeks longer since its just arrived yesterday and my frost date is still couple months away anyway

I’d let it cook.

So, annpat, you are saying the secret to all those brag posts is because your compost is ann-aerobic?

tj

Hang on ... ”it just arrived last week”. I thought you said you purchased it last year. How old is the manure?

Gardengal48 said it right. Keep in mind that when organic debris (leaves, twigs, manure, etc.) fall on the ground, it eventually decomposes and makes, yep, compost. That is, decomposition will happen eventually if you don't even look at the stuff. Turning it will make it happen faster. As noted, if you want to kill weed seeds and bacteria. getting it to heat up is useful. Once it stops being warm, that's basically telling you that the decomposition is complete, and is safe to lather onto plants.

The once living, dead and very dead. It's once living until you can't recognize any part of the pile then it's dead, but will still have a rotting odor and lighter in color. Once the composting is complete the color will be dark brown to nearly black with no odor smelling only like dirt, It's now very dead and ready to use.

When the pile stops heating up is a sign it's also ready, but then again not a sure sign. If the pile became anaerobic with an oxygen level below 5% to 10% composition slows and hydrogen sulfate will be produced and smell like rotten eggs, the compost should only smell like dirt. Take a sealed plastic bag full of your compost and let it sit for a day. Open it up and if it smells bad it's not finished.

However, f you use it as a mulch, it's only aesthetics that keep you from spreading it whenever you want. I harvest my compost any time any of these three situations occur:

1.) It's spring and I need mulch. 2.) It's fall and I need mulch. 3.) I have a spot that needs mulch.

I prefer that my mulch not be identifiable banana peels, so I try to keep ahead of my needs, but if I had needs and I had compost that wasn't quite ready, I'd still use it.

What she said. Exactly.

Wow, tj, "brag posts"...

A little hurt here, but then I thought about it, and I thought, "You know, Ann, sometimes you do really kind of flaunt your scores; it's kind of inconsiderate, really, if you think about it."

So, here is me expressing aplogies for any past thoughtlessness:

I like ann-aerobic, though. If it had less letters, I'd try it in Wordle.

Oh no you don’t. You can’t blame me for the ”brag” moniker. A quick search found this, but there are more…

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5808579/is-this-the-time-of-year-when-i-like-to-start-bragging#n=20

tj

That was quick.

It come's down to "When life give's you______ make _____ ." Beit lemons,leaves or bull crap,the drill is the same. Just have fun and let Ma Nature handle the rest. Grandstanding optional. (: