By Daveyjonesh
United Kingdom 
I have two 6ft x 31/2ft compost "bins"made of wooden pallets.During the growing season I put all compostible materials in one bin.When the season is over I cover it with a heavy tarpaulin.When spring arrives I sift the heap through a 1/4 inch mesh sieve and put the sifted stuff on the vegetable plot.The stuff that didn't go through the sieve is put into the empty bin to start the next heap.Am I doing this right and should I dig the sifted compost into the soil or leave it on top and sow seeds straight into it ?
24 Apr, 2015
Answers
I used to do the sieving thing but decided that life's too short. Now I just pick out any obviously unrotted stuff to go back through the system and sling the rest wherever it's needed. I do let it rot down for longer than one season, though. I just hoe off any seedlings.
24 Apr, 2015
thank you bulbaholic and landgirl100
27 Apr, 2015
No problem with your compost making, Davey. My experience is that compost made this way is full of weed seeds that have not been killed so I would soon have a nice green bed if I just spread it on top. In the veggie garden I plan and mark out my rows well in advance of the season, dig a trench where the rows will be and put some compost in the bottom of the trench before covering it over. This can then wait until seed sowing time when I just sow into the soil as normal. But don't forget to mark where the rows are!!!!!
24 Apr, 2015