<< Back To SBS Blog

Topic: How do you tell if a compost is finished?

Compost is very useful in the landscape adding nutrients and making for a nutrient rich growing environment, but how do you know if it is finished? Figuring out if it is finished can be tricky if you don’t know what you are looking for. What we look for in a finished compost is as follows; A rich dark brown color - You should not see any light colored material in a finished compost. Light colored material such as wood and leaf material. Rounded edges - If there are wood pieces in the compost that is ok, they just haven’t finished breaking down but are fully composted. What should be noted is that it should not have any sharp edges. Microbes will eat away the ends of wood and round out their shape. Sharp edges is not finished compost. There should be no “smell” - Compost should not smell like leaves or wood breaking down, it should have no “odor” of decomposition at all. What do you look for in a fully finished compost?

Comments:


Like to comment on this?