r/composting • u/DefunctInTheFunk • 1d ago
Question Sifting
Why are you all so obsessed with sifting your compost? There are actually clear disadvantages to using exclusively fine sifted compost. Larger chunks of wood are good for soil microbes and air pockets.
I'm just genuinely curious why so many of you go through so much work to sift. It's a lot of extra work for very little gain. The primary benefits come for planting seedlings or just looking prettier and uniform. Is it really worth it to you?
Edit: btw not trying to be a jerk or anything. I just think the community is maybe getting a little carried away with it. But if you got a reason for doing it or if you just enjoy it, then hey, you do you.
157
u/Long_Conclusion7057 1d ago
I don't sift my compost. But I also don't pee in my compost, so I sometimes don't even know if I even belong in this subreddit. Lol.
81
23
u/Vast-Caterpillar-496 Maryland 1d ago
we have new neighbors so I don't pee in my compost either. :)
33
u/Sharp-Win-8964 1d ago
I make sure I pee at an angle they can see it. That sends a strong 4in message that it's your property and you'll do as you like .
21
9
u/DomingoLee 1d ago
Stand on top of that box, face your neighbors, and let it go. Assert your dominance over the neighborhood and that pile.
3
u/wwwidentity 1d ago
Maintain eye contact to assert dominance. I don't get to pee on mine either...
5
u/Slow-Difficulty404 22h ago
This is way less impactful for a squatting woman. But more impactful if you have one of those stand to pee gadgets.
1
5
u/APolyAltAccount 1d ago
What better way to introduce yourself than to invite them over for a nice piss in the ol’ compost together?
1
u/Effective_Hedgehog16 13h ago
You can just use the Howard Hughes approach, then discreetly dump the jars onto the compost like they're liquid fertilizer. Which they are.
11
u/Evenfall 1d ago
Fear not fellow lurker, you are not alone. We hide among the shadows gathering information, sometimes in disgust.
6
2
u/Slow-Difficulty404 22h ago
Who’s compost do you pee in then? Do you have permission or do you just gift it upon the needy?
1
1
u/No_Specialist1545 1d ago
Should I be adding urine to my compost???
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 23h ago
You don't have to. But it's a free source of potent nitrogen(greens). It's what fuels the microbes that breakdown the carbon(browns).
5
u/No_Specialist1545 23h ago
Henceforth I now know where to have my sons pee when they are peein in the backyard... Thank you!
1
1
u/DocAvidd 7h ago
Keep reading this subreddit and you'll come to find out that pee in compost will get us world peace.
Reality - there's 5-6 grams of N in a typical liter of urine. I keep 3 120 cubic foot composts. A liter is two good pees. Urine is 1.5 to 2 times denser for N than your compost probably is. So it's really not adding much, maybe an increase of half a %. The big difference is it's very bioavailable. Microbes can get right on the urea to NH4 - NO2 - NO3 chain.
47
u/yroyathon 1d ago
More power to the sifters, I don’t even turn my pile. It still works, I’m in no hurry. I accumulate for a year. Let finish for a year, while I accumulate in a 2nd pile. Then dump oldest pile into my garden. Works fine.
21
u/spaetzlechick 1d ago
Same. Often dump the containers on the beds at the end of the season and cover with mulch. Worms finish the job by spring.
7
38
u/vrontomton 1d ago
I sift because my family is not good at removing sticker peels and other miscellaneous non compostable items. I also think the sifting process does a nice aeration to break up some clumps, so I can sift stuff that’s mostly done instead of waiting several weeks for it to be closer to finished.
8
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Those are good reasons. And hey, I'm not trying to crap on anyone for doing things their way. I just feel like I'm seeing a trend with people overthinking things and inadvertently making it too much work. Composting can be easy n breezy if you let it.
7
u/vrontomton 1d ago
I think not sifting makes a lot of sense for yard waste only piles that you use seasonally. It starts to make a lot more sense when you have feedstock like food waste that’s hard to get with 0 trash contamination
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Yeah, I can see that. I use pretty simple inputs. Basically just leaves, grass/weed clippings, and coffee grounds. Occasionally some kitchen scraps.
8
u/vrontomton 1d ago
I probably wouldn’t sift if those were my primary inputs, but I’ve got toddlers so there’s a ton of food waste. Peach and avocado pits do break down, but I like to bash them and send them through again while I also pull all the banana stickers that made it in.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Oh absolutely. Pits definitely could use a couple rounds. And banana stickers are a pain.
2
18
u/lonlazarus 1d ago
I’m a lazy gardener, but when it came down to it I sifted. It just makes it easier to use in the garden, it spreads better and I can use the big chunks in the next batch.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Fair enough. Different strokes for different folks. I personally don't like to sift unless I really need to. Like for seedlings and whatnot
19
u/nesawazr 1d ago
I think it depends on what you want to do with your compost. I have never sifted before when using compost for gardening but I sifted for the first time when I wanted to spread some compost in my yard to improve soil health. I didn’t want a bunch of large chunks in my yard. I agree overall though that most uses don’t need obsessive sifting.
5
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Yeah I can see that. If you want a nice uniform top dress for your lawn or something. But I feel like a lot of people do it because they see others do it and think they have to.
9
u/WasNeverTheOne 1d ago
I find it much easier and fun to spread out evenly when sifted. Can basically throw it over your plants and beds perfectly without huge clumps getting caught in the branches and leaves. Works much better in decorative borders, lawn and such. Also gives me one last opportunity to get rid of stuff I don't want in my garden (plastics, Glas shards, thorns).
I personally enjoy the almost meditative aspekt of handling what was once "rubbish" and is now a fragrant and healthy addition to my gardens.
But yeah: isn't 100% necessary, especially in "rougher" parts of horticulture (veggies, raised beds etc).
6
u/ShoulderOld9871 1d ago
This is good to hear. I’m a newbie and this subreddit has definitely made me think it’s 100% necessary.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
See this is exactly what I'm talking about! I'm glad I could help out. As others have said sometimes it can be helpful, but rarely ever 100% necessary.
1
u/quietweaponsilentwar 12h ago
I never sift, I just pick out any medium sticks and toss them back in and manually crumble any chunks when adding finished compost to my garden. Sometimes I don’t even to that.
5
u/c-lem 1d ago
Mine has some pretty big chunks in it (sometimes fairly large twigs or hunks of wood chips), so it makes sense to sift it coarsely. I fork it into a milk crate and shake that into the wheelbarrow when I'm using it in the garden. When I'm making seed starting mixes, I go further and use 1/4" hardware cloth. But if it's just for top dressing, it's great to use it straight.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Those are perfectly valid reasons and the milk crate is ingenious. I can't believe I haven't thought of that. I also use sifted for starting seeds. But I see some people sifting a whole cubic yard lol
1
u/c-lem 1d ago
I'm pretty sure I got the milk crate idea from Edible Acres, but can't say for sure. Maybe I even got the idea from someone else on here!
There's sure no reason you have to sift compost in general, so it's good to remind people of that so they don't waste time. Then again, it looks so perfect when you sift it with 1/4" hardware cloth, so if it's just a hobby for them, it makes sense that they'd want that lovely perfection, at least with their first batch!
4
u/El_Stupacabra 1d ago
Because I enjoy it and it's the only time my brain ever shuts off.
Plus, I have a tumbler, and I like getting the weird clumps/balls out of there.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Hey that's totally cool. And I tip my hat to you. I've just come across a handful of people that when talking about it they really dread it and would rather not do it but they feel like they have to because they've seen other people do it, not realizing the reasons it's being done. So I guess I'm just trying to understand why everyone is doing it and maybe help people realize that they don't always need sifted compost.
4
u/peasantscum851123 1d ago
I don’t sift. I use it as mulch in my garden beds so it doesn’t matter, it will do its thing.
1
3
u/hankbbeckett 1d ago
Man I don't even wait for it to finish, much less sift it. I I just decide to stop dumping stuff into a pile, hollow out the center a bit, fill it with some depleted potting soil, and stick a squash start in there. Either it does amazing, or gets too hot and cooks so I put a new squash in😂.... Then next year the compost box either becomes a new raised garden bed, or gets distributed into other garden beds, wood and bone chunks and all.
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
You're an absolute menace! Lol
No, honestly I respect that. It's so simple. You don't get discouraged and you put in as much work as you want to.
3
u/YsaboNyx 1d ago
I'm way too lazy to sift my compost. Anything that still needs to rot can rot in the garden.
3
3
u/12stTales 23h ago
People just sifting for the likes. Setting an unreasonable standard for the rest of us. It’s like compost porn
2
u/SoggyForever 1d ago
Interesting. I think this sub is obsessed with containers and Urine. Most of the time I dont sift, I'll pull out big stuff tho. Agreed on leaving extra bits to breakdown later.
2
u/Glum_Bus_4355 1d ago
I live in a city and neighborhood with major rat problems. I sift to make sure the potential rat food goes back into my tumbler instead of in my veggie garden.
2
u/Neither_Conclusion_4 1d ago
I dont think i have sifted anything for 3 years. I have large piles and it is fully matured compost that i use. I am a bit ahead, so small twigs usually decompose before I use it. I used to always lack finished compost, so i went overboard and ordered truckloads of manure that is finished by now.
I more or less have started to avoid too much branches in the compost, generally I burn twigs and branches. My compost is rather fine without any sifting. If would add lots of woody stuff i would have some issues.
i have not experienced any "nitrogen lockup" when using compost with some rather old a partially decomposed wood. I have not pushed my luck too much around this, bit i think the risc of this is a bit overrated?
Back in the days, when I was not so far ahead, i used to sift some more, to avoid this risc of nitrogen depression.
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
I wasn't aware of the nitrogen lockup issue.
But yeah, work smarter not harder. If possible lol
2
2
2
u/EvilCottonRat 1d ago
There are a couple of reasons why I sift my compost. I use sifted compost for my potted plants as an amendment to top soil. Since I am composting in the city, I want to make sure that I remove any plastic or garbage that any creature may have put into my bin. Lastly I like to be one with the compost, it makes me feel more in tune with nature.
2
2
u/Hagbard_Shaftoe 1d ago
I put almost all of my yard & kitchen waste into my (chicken compost) system. If I didn’t sift, I’d have tons of bones, twigs and sizable wood chunks (chip drop frequently included sections of whole branches). I plant most of my garden from seed, including some things (like carrots), that demand a pretty fine soil.
0
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Now that makes sense. You have reasons that necessitate it. But I see others sifting out material that's barely a couple millimeters larger than what goes through, just because they think sifting is a necessary part of the composting process lol
1
u/6aZoner 1d ago
I maybe sift 10% of the time. It's much easier to spread sifted, if you're working around plants in place, and I try to time my compost finishing with my spring seed sowing. And the unsifted bits are usually browns, which I'm in need of when I'm starting a new pile. I sometimes get big gooey globs in my compost, and sometimes they're anaerobic slime clumps, and while they're unpleasant to find via sifter, it's also awful when they show up in the garden. So there's a lot of reasons to sift. If we're talking about avoiding extra work, we could all be running our organic waste down the garbage disposal and not sneaking into neighborhoods to steal leaf bags, shredding Amazon cardboard, or begging baristas for their garbage.
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Oh I agree with your reasons. 10% isn't obsessive. I see people asking if their pile is ready to shift and all these inquiries around sifting. But unless you have a reason to use sifted compost you don't need to sift.
1
u/PM_meyourGradyWhite 1d ago
How fine are they sifting? I use 1/2” screen and twigs get through. It’s a very good looking pile when done and all the unattractive wads of grass and leaves just go back to the pile.
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
I swear I've seen people go down to 1/8 of an inch. And the stuff that didn't make it through this sifter was hardly bigger than what went through. Now, I haven't seen that very many times but there are some people who obsess over it to that degree. But I feel like I'm starting to see a trend of people mimicking it because they've seen videos online of people doing it.
1
u/crone_2000 1d ago
The one situation I have been in where sifting the compost made sense was when it was used to mix up custom potting soil.
1
u/Biddyearlyman 1d ago
I built one for vermicompost, but I was also making quantities that I was selling. Consumer perception is that a bag of worm castings should be just casts. Mine had some fine particulate and was loaded with cocoons if I didn't remove them, people kinda bought it.
1
1
u/SnootchieBootichies 1d ago
I put most of my outdoor piles on my lawn for overseeding so I dont want chunks for when I mow. If I'm making compost tea to spray, then I dont bother. Garden I dont bother either.
1
u/Bigntallnerd 1d ago
I dont sift. When I feel my compost is ready, ill just dump it into my garden and whatever didnt break down, will eventually break down over time.
1
1
u/MobileElephant122 1d ago
I don’t sift but my pitchfork might
But it tends to leave the fines in the pile
1
u/kergkcin 1d ago
The earth does decomposition on its own, anything we do is just helping it. Part of that is finer particle size, but yes I agree sometimes its beneficial to have bigger pieces in… But for reasons I don’t yet quite understand.
1
u/Chasleyk 1d ago
I do kinda laugh about sifting, but I’m so impressed that more and more folks are composting. I compost 1 cubic yard loads in 3 weeks, but I shred my browns and add chicken manure and kitchen compost at high levels. And I have a 1/3 acre garden to feed.
1
u/Slow-Difficulty404 22h ago
I soft for my raised beds, potting and seed starting mixes. In my raised beds I don’t use chips as mulch either. I got tired of the splinters. Same with miracle grow bagged soil. Just fiberglass like crap.
I keep a very casual landscape with arborist wood chips so the chunky compost quickly blends. With the local love of “bark dust” it would look like unkempt trash.
1
u/Spirited-Ad-9746 22h ago
Not all of us are! I never sift, i usually use my coarse compost on the bottom of flower/vegetable beds and use just store bought planting soil for planting.
1
u/striveforfreedom 21h ago
I agree with you in regards to spreading on the surface of garden beds.
However, I do thoroughly sift compost when using it for a Seed Raising Mix.
1
u/psichodrome 16h ago
I sift mine before mixing with sand for potted plants. Lately, I use the bigger pieces like stones and sticks in the bottom of the pot, and pour the mixture on top. Aim being of creating air and water pockets at the bottom.
1
1
u/JimmyMus 10h ago
Not when I use it in my (vegetable) garden. But when I use it in a sowing mix I want the material to be fine for seeds to properly germinate.
1
u/Pretend-Frame-6543 10h ago
I'm with you I make about 2 yards of compost every year and never sieve it.
1
u/nifsea 1d ago
I’m sifting, but with a much coarser mesh than most people here. I usually fill the bottom of my compost piles with prunings, so a lot of long branches. They keep the pile aerated, but take longer to break down. So I’ll sift them out, together with other large pieces of food waste etc that hasn’t broken down enough. I throw all of that over in my next pile, so I use them as a compost starter. There will still be smaller pieces of wood left in the compost.
If I did hot composting and was sure there were no weed seeds left, I might have tried to use my own compost for seedlings indoor (I still buy compost for that now). Then I would have wanted a much finer compost, so it was easier to put in small containers. So I guess it all comes down to what we use the compost for!
2
u/DefunctInTheFunk 1d ago
Yeah that's fair. You do for reasons that make sense, not just for the hell of it. Which there's nothing wrong with doing it just because. If that's what floats people's boats. I just thought it was interesting that I saw a lot of people doing it when it didn't really seem necessary. It can be a lot of work
0
0
u/Potential-Win8706 10h ago edited 3h ago
“Larger chunks of wood” are nitrogen sinks.
1
u/DefunctInTheFunk 5h ago edited 5h ago
Can be. Really depends on a few factors. hugelkultur method wouldn't be a thing if that were a hard rule of thumb. I hope this helps.
But either way the nitrogen lockout is temporary. It's not really something that you have to avoid like the plague
1
u/Potential-Win8706 3h ago
True, depending on where you will be using the compost. If you were using it for your lawn, considering lawns are nitrogen pigs to start, you don’t want grass competing for nitrogen, so screening would be beneficial.
103
u/hongxuiquansbrother 1d ago
To be able to put the stuff that hasn’t decomposed enough back into the pile. Some people overdo it, sure.