Hello,

Thank you for submitting your question to the UVM Master Gardener Helpline. Good job with the compost. Sounds like you have been able to achieve a hot compost system in a fairly short period of time. It is almost done. Your bin is of sufficient size, you have done a good job mixing carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials, have provided sufficient water, and have been turning frequently. I would stop charging now.

If you are going by temperature, the compost temperature tends to spike around 130-150°F, then starts to drop. When the temperature drops to around 100°F, it’s time to turn
the compost. When the temperature no longer fluctuates, the compost is ready.

Other ways to tell your compost is ready: The compost should be dark, fairly dry and crumbly, and if the water content is right, it should form a ball when squeezed in the hand, without drops of water being squeezed out.

It should smell like fresh earth. If it is still fermenting, it will have a foul odor.

Ideally no original materials should be visible, with no recognizable food, though pits and eggshells may persist. If desired compost can be sifted through a large screen over a tarp or wheelbarrow to remove some of the larger pieces.

For more composting information, I recommend looking at:

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6956

And "The Dirt on Compost" from the composting pull-down menu at this site https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/gardening-resources

You are very welcome Denny!