Once you've had an active compost pile for at least two to three months, you'll be anxious to start reaping the benefits from it. You can start harvesting most active compost piles after just a few months, but keep in mind that some need six to twelve months to fully mature. How soon your compost pile is ready to start using will depend upon what you've put into it, how you've cared for it, and how active it has been over that time.

You can start harvesting your compost before the entire pile is finished though, and this is usually done by taking compost from the bottom of your heap. You'll know when you have ready to harvest compost by the way it looks. Finished compost looks like very dark, rich, fertile soil or humus. It's loose and has an earthy smell to it. There are no identifyable chunks of organic materials left in it. If there are a few, you can simply separate those out from the finished material, and toss the unfinished bits back into your pile.

If you're using a commercial composting bin it may have a fine screen or mesh like material which helps allow finished compost to come through without any unfinished bits.

If your finished compost is a bit moist, spread it out in the sun for a short while to allow it to dry further before using.

You probably started composting because you knew at least some of the benefits you'd reap from the process, but we'll cover those in more detail here.

First, compost is an excellent soil amendment. By mixing it in with regular dirt in your yard or garden, you're improving the overall structure and that means your plants will be able to receive more air and water easier. Their roots will also be able to take hold better, and this prevents erosion as well as allows the plants to grow more healthy. The soil will also retain water better so that it gets to your plants instead of running off and taking your topsoil with it.

Besides these benefits of course, compost also provides your plants with rich vitamins and nutrients. It's a natural fertilizer in other words, which will help your plants be much more healthy and productive almost immediately. Compost will also help balance and stabilize the acid levels in your soil, which makes it a wonderful natural additive and creates much less work for you as the gardener.

You can use compost in many ways. You can either mix it into existing dirt to plant new plants or you can simply spread it around on top of existing plants and flower beds. If you have enough compost, it's best to mix it into flower and vegetable garden beds while preparing them before your first planting. This allows the compost to start enriching the entire garden bed from the start. If you don't have much compost or your plants are already in the ground, you can simply spread the compost on top like a mulch.

When using compost as mulch, try to add two to six inches of compost to the topsoil. This thick layer will help prevent erosion and water run off, plus it will help supress weed growth too. It will also start attracting earthworms, which means the soil underneath of your compost layer will start being composted naturally as well.