Spent two hours today turning over the compost heap to get air in and mix some dry materials in with the very wet heap which I had as a result of the wet weather.
For me this is what composting is about; you build the heap for the first time and it takes a while to turn into usable compost.
Then each time as you learn how it works you are able to speed up the process by applying your growing knowledge of composting to make adjustments to the heap. The little red worms that live in compost were surprisingly active today considering how cold it has been. When you disturb the heap the little red compost worms wriggle away downwards away from the light I suppose and to keep moist.
I also dug over an patch that will become a salad bed area in the spring and then walked around the plot digging up any brambles and perennial weeds that had emerged; these will be more difficult to dig out later in the year. The soil is moist at the moment and the tough weeds seem to get a better grip with there roots as it dries out in the Spring. I have a sandy soil at the allotment so it dries out very quickly and it not moisture retentive. That is why I need to add as much humus as possible to the soil when I can. Provided I do not apply it just before something that dislikes growing in a newly fertilised/manured vegetable patch.
The photo is of my allotment in the beginning - two years ago - February 2008.
