Storing and handling compost so it is still good in June

It is alive, and storage reflects that

Good compost carries an active microbial population. Bake it dry in full sun or leave it standing in water and you keep the bulk but lose much of what you paid for.

This is the most common avoidable loss we see: material bought correctly, stored carelessly, and blamed on quality when it underperforms.

Four rules

• Store in shade: under cover or tarpaulin, never in direct sun through a hot season.
• Keep it off bare ground and out of any area that pools water in rain.
• Do not let it dry out completely; slightly moist is the working condition.
• Stack bags no higher than they hold shape, and rotate stock first-in, first-out.

Signs the material is still good

Finished, well-stored compost is dark, crumbles between your fingers, and smells of earth. If a bag smells sour or of ammonia, or heats when you open it, that material either was not finished when it was packed or has gone anaerobic in storage. Either way, raise it with your supplier.

Buy closer to use where you can

If your storage is limited, stage deliveries. It is generally better to take material in two or three consignments timed near application than to hold a full season's requirement through the hot months in a yard that cannot protect it.