Why turn over a pile of compost? For some of us it is the wonder of looking into an ever changing world in the middle of the pile.
Plant material gradually changes as the compost works.
As the pile progresses, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish the original material.
Smells change and become richer and more earthy.
Others are more concerned with getting the material quickly ready for the garden and turning the pile makes composting faster.
The first turning for a pile really is the completion of the building stage of the compost pile.
Over time, whether a couple of hours during the busy season of gardening, or several months over winter, the pile has gradually grown to be about three feet on a side and three feet high.
In theory it has been carefully gathered in layers of green material and brown material which is just another way of saying green, fresh material versus older dried matter.
What really happens is we tend to throw any old plant material on the pile as it builds; weeds from the garden, old leaves, wood shavings from the shop, spent flowers from house and garden, grass clippings, kitchen waste and so on and on it goes.
Start with a manure fork at one end of the pile and drive it hard into the side, straight down, moving any and all layers if they ever really existed.
This goes in the bottom of the new pile.
Work your way around the outside, removing about six inches of the pile.
Do the same with the top six inches.
Now the outside of the pile has become the inside of the new pile.
Do the same with the next six inches and the next and so on until all the pile has been removed and mounded up once again.
This is pretty heavy physical labor so take some precautions as you go.
Take your time.
If six inches is too hard a fork full, take half.
Pace yourself, especially if the sun is hot.
Stretch a little before you start and a lot more after ten minutes has passed.
I find it better to warm up the muscles with light work before stretching.
Warm muscles stretch easier and with less pain or chance of injury than do cold ones.
Be aware of your health and level of fitness.
If turning all of the pile at once is too hard, do part today and part tomorrow and so on.
Let the pile sit for about three days and maybe four.
If you look in it the first day you will find that it has heated up with all the microbial and fungal activity.
Three days later it will have cooled down and be ready to turn again.
After only three of four turnings it will be ready to use.
Since a pile left on its own may take a couple of years or more to compost, this is a great savings in time.