When to put out compost?

This will be another one of my dumb questions. My kids call them Ldq's

I started compost piles in January and have been adding to them all along.
I need to know, should I take what has already composted and go ahead and put it in my flowerbeds now or just wait till spring or Feb or March, etc.

I know that i sn't the most important question but it's making me nuts. I want everything to go well this year. I planted a lot of stuff kind of late this year. Everything came up, but too late to really enjoy

Does it look all nice and dark and broken down? I would think, since January, that it should be fine...I have made really nice compost in 3 weeks....

I haven't figured all my ratios and stuff so mine isn't getting hot enough to compost quickly. However, when I turn it I love the smell. Just smells earthy I guess. And yes, there is some that is already broken down, so I thought I'd dig into it and take the good stuff out. What do you think

I would!!
Isn't compost wonderful stuff?

Love it, love it, love it. Don't know why there are any scraps in the garbage anywhere!!!

I know!!! I get sad when I go to the dump and see all the good compostable stuff there. Hubby says it's bad enough I bring home flower pots and discarded Mums, and drawers, and..well, you know...he says he draws the line at me bringing home food though....

Tell me about it. Does your heart break when you see a neighbor throw out potato peelings and all that good stuff?

I've been tempted to run around stopping people and ask if I can have their scraps. I could dress up like a bag lady and they would think I'm hungry and let me have them easier. Or they could call and have them pick me up with a nest and take me to the "Mental Health" clinic. But then, I'd just have to ask the kitchen there for scraps and hide them under my bed.

3G,
Tell me about collecting "drawers?"

hehe---like in dresser drawers---I've been know to bring dresser's home from the dump--got a nice finished solid pine one a couple weeks ago----had a terrible time getting it in the back seat of the car---I sure miss my old truck.

I can see everyone now roaming around at garbage dumps, going through them looking for stuff. Guess we should wear t shirts that say "Compost nut", then maybe we wouldn't get arrested!! There are several "illegal dumps" around here , where people who don't want to pay for pick-up just dumps. Think I might do a drive by. Only instead of a gun, I'll use a shovel.

I was at WalMart in late summer, and I had my pickup truck too. In the grocery section, two employees were throwing ears of sweet corn into trash cans. I asked what they were doing, and they said the corn had got too old and was being thrown away. It would have made about a big pickup truck load.

I went to see the manager, and asked if I could have the corn to put in my compost pile. He said they aren't allowed to do that - it had to go in the trash.

What a waste. I guess they have to do it that way or people would be getting free food - which doesn't sound like such a bad idea either, if people need it.

Last week at HomeDepot I came across a trash bag full of sweepings from the tropical plant area. Wished I could have composted that.-spilled potting soil.
Worse- the landscapers raking off the 'bad old' mulch and putting down a fresh layer. I need to learn the Spanish for "Can I take that home with me?" They may take it home and do their own yards actually. I could have asked, offered to let them/pay them to bring it to my house....

My husband works at a food pantry, and Missouri now has a law that food companies can't be held liable if they donate the food. It has increased fresh food donations. Bakeries that have slightly overcooked bread now donate instead of trashing, etc.

Well that makes MO a state that has a mind of it's own! Good for them. Here the restaurants AND STORES mostly keep their trash bins locked up to keep people out.

I've heard of people who raise hogs picking up waste food from grocery stores. I guess you'd just have to set it up as an ongoing deal, so they know who you are and that humans aren't going to eat the food.

That might be a real good source for dedicated composters - 'cause anything a hog would eat will make compost.

I have made friends with some of my local store's produce managers and normally make a "pick up" run at least twice a week. I provide super heavy duty trash bags for the leavings. Also I'm in love with the Starbucks manager who saves me all their coffee grounds. Papa is going to have to add a 3rd compost bin (smile). Their "reward" for being such a big help is an hand written thank you not and usually homemade baked goods, (lord, some of these babies have never eaten "scratch" cookies or cake.) I also offer free gardening advice etc. It's amazing how plp respond to a little politeness and food bribes are always good. LOL And I remind them those "goodies" are NOT lofat, no cal.........LOL

doccat- you sound very good at getting the flies with sugar..that's nice

Ozark- I do feel like I'm slopping the hogs when I'm filling my little compost bowl..

Wow - You have really surpised me this time sallyg. "Slopping the hogs" is definitely not a term that I would ever hear coming out of your mouth. You look way too prim and proper to be someone that even knows there is such a thing. Yep, you are sure full of surprises.
Just playin' with you babe, but tis true. You have also surprised me with your sense of humor of late. ha-ha You already knew that.

This is a good a place as any to post a couple of questions for you good people. For those with more experience, I would like to know if there is any specific way that the alfalfa pellets are to be added to compost pile? Or just dump in on top?

Second question is in regards to putting "wire grass," a very invasive weed in the compost or is that going to cause problems in terms of it rooting itself and taking over>

I appreciate and thank you for any input. (I am going to post this as a separate thread.) Feel free to answer in either place.

Ruby

Just toss your alfalfa in the bin and keep on layering. Hot compost will kill off weed seed and decompose weeds. I just don't add diseased plant material to my bin. That goes off to my friends at the dump.

ruby- watch out for us shy quiet types ; ^)
I have a neat little book written by an amish woman describing the lifestyle she grew up in. They gave the hogs the whole bucket from the kitchen wash-up including the lye soap rinse ,which I think they felt killed parasites. And I do watch Dirty Jobs LOL
I avoid putting my blooming weeds or wire grass in the compost, but wiregras,s, if it lives, wil be very easy to pull out later, unless maybe you have a bunch of it and put it under a layer of newspaper like a lasagne bed- then it could be heck sprouting up through that.

thanks doc and sally please forgive all small letters keyboard is acting up i did throw the alfalfa pe|llets in the bin on saturday and then it got a good rain on top of it yesterday afternoon i spent a couple of hours out back cleaning up and was able to put some browns and greens on top of it

i want to be like the person here who was so happy that they hAD A HIT PILE I CANNOT WAIT!!!

CRAZY KEYBOARD!!!

CIAO