We spend months composting all our compostable organic materials however, once it’s ready our plans and our gardens enjoy the nutrient-rich compost. But what should we do when we have compost leftover, which is the right way to store bagged compost? We all know to recognize the compost when it’s ready to utilize it for our plants, when the moisture level in the compost is low that means it is ready making it extremely easy for you to store even for a long time. All you need to do is remember to maintain oxygen and humidity levels in the pile in order to avoid loss and rotting off nutrients.
Storing compost – advantages
Compost is a brilliant idea. When an average household decides to compost, they contribute in a big way towards the environment by saving over 277 pounds of compostable waste every year. I have always found summer to be the ideal time to make my compost. The high temperatures in summer expedite the decomposition process making it ready to be utilized by fall.
But if the seeding season extends to late winter storing the material is recommended. However, there are certain things that you must consider while storing your bag composed to make sure that it does not freeze up, and need to break down in the soil. Let’s take a look at what we can do;
Freeing Space
Suppose you don’t have enough space, because your place is pretty small or you do not have a big garden, harvesting along with storing the manure compost is a great way for you to free up some space for the next pile. I always recommend not mix up the entire pile from the top to the middle as you do not want to move the material that are yet to decompose. Carefully segregate the section and mix materials that are not yet composted with the latest heap.
Protection
When you store your compost properly you begin to protect it from harsh weather that includes snow and rain. Always make sure to store these bags in sheltered, dry spaces to up the bacteria to remain active. In this way, the compost quality will improve. When you plan to cure it further, since the compost has been stored well it enhances the conditions of the compost for all microorganism activities transforming the compost into supreme quality finished humus.
Aeration
In the fall you must have noticed that the compost gets a tad compacted. Hence when you turn the pile, prior to storing it in a new location it will add fresh air aiding to aeration. Don’t stress about breaking up the large chunks of compose because naturally they will break on their own.
There are various methods to store bagged compost and it depends on the period of time you are planning on storing the compost.
Short term
During this time, you would not be facing any major issues unless the weather conditions around the pile are harsh
Medium term
If it is more than two months that you are required to store these compost bags, we always recommend utilizing stakes and a tarp.
Long term
If you’re planning to store it for a longer period of time it must be from harsh conditions, walled storage is recommended
So that’s all for this article folks and if you have any added tips do share them with us and I would love to hear from you guys. All the best!