Stretching My Compost

 I finally got all of my finished compost sifted.  It is so pretty that I would like to just leave it there to admire.  This pile is from the second half of last year, consisting of four months of kitchen scraps and garden waste.  I started the pile in the compost tube in July, dumped it in the late fall, mixed in what was left of the shredded leaves from the year before and turned it all winter.  I already sifted off a wheelbarrow load and used it to dress one of the beds that is resting this year.  I still had four beds that I felt needed some compost and this was only going to stretch to two or three beds.  

I also have a pile of shredded leaves from last year.  Since I planted my tomato plants in the ground instead of containers and am not growing potatoes in grow bags, I will not be using as many leaves to top off containers and have extra leaves to use on the beds.  Earthworms love leaves.  Sometimes I put down a layer of leaves and cover them with compost to stop them blowing around.   I used the shredded leaves alone as mulch in the cole crop bed because it is covered in netting and they will not blow out.  I also plan to put straight leaves in the cucumber bed because that will be covered for several weeks allowing the leaves to settle and be watered down so they won't blow around as much.

I would typically mix the leftover leaves back into the mulch pile.  Why not mix them in now, stretch the mulch, and make the leaves less likely to blow around?  Using a wheelbarrow, I mixed the mulch with the leaves 50/50 and spread them on the two tomato beds.  I mulched a third bed with straight compost because I planted pole beans in it today and will be direct sowing Marigolds along the sides.  Marigold seeds would be lost in the leaf mold and would not make good contact with the soil.  

My compost area is nice and tidy and I have an empty tube to start filling with scraps.

I still have about a third of the compost pile left, and plenty of leaves.  I will be able to mulch everything I need to and it will be time to dump the compost tube I have been adding to since last winter so I can begin turning it and finish off the composting process.

Below is a shot of one of my developing pears on the pear tree.  I have about six Bosc pears and a few Bartlett pears setting. The tree flowered heavily, but went through a hard freeze just as the blooms were opening up.  I don't know if the scant pollination is due to the frost damaging the pollen or if the bees were not as active in the cold weather.

The tree itself is putting out a lot of fresh new growth and looks really good.