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You finally have a batch of compost ready to use, but you see that you have made too much. You could always spread it on heavily and deal with the mess that it makes, or you can store it for later. Sounds easy, and it is if you do it correctly. A couple of things may come up, though, and you will wonder if compost has a shelf life.
Compost does not have a shelf life, and it can be stored for as long as it is needed. As long as it is stored correctly and cared for properly, very few nutrients will be lost. It will lose some potency over time, but it will still be usable.
Even though compost can be used after it has been stored for a time, you will need to take some precautions to ensure that it does not lose valuable nutrients. After all, the point of taking the time to create compost is to make your own fertilizer for your gardens. Read on if you want to know the intricate details of storing your compost.
How Do You Extend the Shelf Life of Compost?
The short answer above is not a rule set in stone because it will lose effectiveness if it is not stored correctly. The compost must be kept in a place where you can keep it moist. The drier the pile gets, the more nutrients it will lose. You want to do everything you can to prevent this, even if it means moving it from the original spot you had it in.
- Trash Cans – An excellent way to keep the compost in one isolated area, away from the eyes of the neighbors, is to shovel it into a trash can. The size depends on how much you have left over, and cover it with the can’s lid. Do not seal it, though, because the mixture needs to get some oxygen.
- Corner of Yard – Storing the pile outside is the best option but may not be feasible if you live in town or a neighborhood controlled by a panel of property owners. The simple solution is to cover it with a tarp that you can fold back when needed.
- Dry and Cool – The place you store it is not as important as keeping it in a cool, dry space. A damp spot that gets a ton of heat will cause the process to accelerate, which removes the nutrients you want.
You need to keep in mind that even though there is no true shelf life for compost, it does get weaker over time. If the moisture levels are regulated, and you take the time to mix the compost regularly, the mixture will be good and strong for many years. Hopefully, you are not planning on storing it that long.
If you plan to keep it for any length of time, you will want to make sure that you have a dedicated place to store it. A shed built for this purpose will work very well, keeping it out of sight. If you are making another batch, you will want to make sure that you rotate it out, just like you do with the food in the freezer.
How Can I Fix Problems with My Compost?
You have taken a lot of time and effort to produce the compost you plan to use in your gardens. It would be a shame to lose a substantial amount of your yield simply because you had some problems that you did not know how to fix. Let’s go over a few of the issues you may run into and tell you how to fix them.
- Moist But Matted – When this happens, the compost will break down more slowly than it should. The fix is simple, mix it every week with a pitchfork to make sure the mixture is getting enough air.
- Compost Smells Bad – Now, the compost will obviously have a unique scent. Still, if it gets too extreme, it is s good indication of being too moist. The only way to fix this is to remove some moisture by adding sawdust or chimney ash.
- Brown Leaves Not Breaking Down – The dead leaves you placed on the pile last fall should be decomposing at a decent rate. If not, you are out of balance. Add some green to the pile and mix it with your pitchfork.
- Fire – You do not want to add too much green to the pile because it will increase the amount of nitrogen present, which will heat up. It can heat up to the point of spontaneously combusting.
- Lack Of Worms And Slugs – Your compost pile should have some bugs and creepy crawlers. They help the compost break down faster. If they are not present, add some. Ask a friend with an older compost pile and take some of their critters.
- Large Pieces Not Breaking Down – Turning leaves and such into compost requires substantial time because the aging process is not fast. The bugs help, but they are small, and the solution to this problem is to remove the more significant pieces and use them for fire instead.
These are some of the main problems that you may run into, and each of them can affect the levels of nutrients found in the compost. Every issue has a solution: keeping the pile at the proper temperature through placement, balance, and mixing. If you find yourself not having the time to deal with the pile, you will need to set up a maintenance routine that you can follow.
What Does Time Do to Compost?
Everything ages, including compost. The older it gets, the less effective it is as compost. This means that you should follow the tips above if you plan to store it for more than a few months. This is because the composting process will continue even though you have moved it to a more secure place. Two things happen as it ages.
- Loss Of Nutrients – The most significant issue that you will have to deal with if you store compost too long is the loss of nutrients. The loss of nutrients decreases the strength of the mixture, making it less effective when you go to use it.
- Loss Of Volume – As the pile continues to decay, the compost you started with will slowly decrease. It is simple science, and the longer something has to decompose, the fewer materials are leftover.
Time is the killer of all things, including compost. Compost does not have a shelf life, but it can lose some potency, especially if you take precautions to keep it moist enough to stay potent but not wet enough to stop the process. That means that it must be stored in a dry place that allows you to control the amount of moisture it gets.
Final Thoughts
Making your own compost is a fantastic way to remove the harm you would typically be doing to the soil by using chemicals. Plus, it removes some of the garbage that would normally take up space in a dump. The great thing about it is that the compost can last as long as needed.
This means that as long as you take the proper steps to keep it appropriately stored, your mixture will be usable for years to come. Remember that storing it outside is your best bet. Still, if that is not feasible, you can store it in an enclosed container to keep it moist and mixed regularly.
Sources
- https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/compost-use-soil-fertility
- https://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/soil-science/myths/
- https://ucanr.edu/sites/Nutrient_Management_Solutions/stateofscience/Compost/