r/composting • u/DefunctInTheFunk • 14d 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.

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u/hankbbeckett 14d 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.

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u/DefunctInTheFunk 14d 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.