Should my compost be used now

Your opionions are needed. I have five compost piles and I don't think the compost is neccesarily ready, yet. I have a tiller at the present time that's own loan to me. My question is, should I till the compost into my garden or use it as a top dressing at a later date? In edition, I have plenty of leaves that I'll use for the aisles. Thank you for your time.

Hi Dave, I have put compost in my beds before it was totally "done"
You know still a few leaves, etc still in it. After it's tilled in it will still rot, I'm going to till mine up soon and I'm going to use some that isn't totally composted. I just go down to the bottom and get all the good stuff, then pile the other back into the pile
That was probably no help, but I've done it every year

Lorraine, Dean here, LOL! Thanks for the tips! That was helpful.

Good, let me know how it goes. I'm going to rent a tiller maybe next week, so we both have l ots of work!!

Lorraine, yes, we got our work cut out for us. I guess I'll till some and save some as a top dressing.

Sure you can use it now and work it in, it will finish breaking down in place. Leaves you room to make more :)

Thanks, doccat, I was unsure if I should use it as a top dressing or till it in. I think it would benefit the soil some to till in.

You can use it either way, Dean. I pull coarse out of my pile and side dress beds with it all the time. It just breaks down in place and is adding nutrients while it does so.

I'm ditto with doc on this one Dean. Fortunately you have decent weather to till. I till as much much horse manure mix (grass & leaves incl.) as possible in the fall before the ground freezes, and compost the rest through the winter months for spring cultivation and mulching. Fresh horse manure goes directly to compost in the spring, not into the garden.

mraider,

Thanks, for your reply! Unfortunately it's been raining and the garden is a muddy mess. I tilled in compost for one row already. I have more leaves than compost and I plan on using the leaves for the aisles. I just didn't want to use all my black gold up so soon and have to rely on store bought compost. Do you think I should till leaves in? They are all browns though.

Dean, use your leaves between the rows for mulch on the rows for now, it will hold down the weed seeds. You can reuse them for either compost or mulch on the beds later on. :)

That's what I thought just making sure.

Dean...dito doc again...I have very few leaves and I now hord them for winter composting of manure. Neighbors with trees have promised me more next fall, but any excess would be used as doc mentions as mulch. m

Why do think I wanted to "score' so many bags. I don't have many trees and the black walnuts are not a good choice. LOL

Good idea on the leaves, doccat.