On Sun, 7 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000 (UTC), DirtBag
wrote:

I started my first compost pile last fall, mostly leaves mulched with my
mower. I turned it several times, but given the limited time, it's not
yet compost - mostly just leaves.

Anyway, I'm planning to use raised beds this season, and I was hoping to
use this "compost" in the raised beds. I was planning to rototill this
compost into the first several inches of soil, then install the raised
beds, add some more of this compost, and finish off with some local
topsoil from the local nursury.

Am I missing something? Will this leaf-compost be problematic? Should I
swap the topsoil planned for the raised beds for something else.

Any guidance for a newby would be greatly appreciated.

DB


Use the parts that have composted. I have three wire compost bins,
each at varying decomposition stages. Leaves alone will take much
longer to compost, turning into leaf mold (a valuable organic material
but maybe not typical "compost"). Maybe your leaf pile is cold--try
mixing in some green material until you see some steam coming off of
it. When that happens the pile will decrease in volume, turn dark,
and break into finer pieces. A live compost pile works like magic.