Sifted compost is the ultimate garden fertilizer. It has readily available nutrients and fine organic humus to improve the soil. Compost sifters can be small hand held bins, large tumblers or steep ramps, but the process is always the same. Sifting out the larger material prevents it from competing with your plants by taking up nitrogen as it decomposes. This is a good time to pick out any plastic and break up any large pieces of sticks or food scraps. The finished sifted compost can be grown in alone or mixed with native soil; used as mulch to add nutrients and retain moisture; dissolved in water as a mild liquid feed for the garden; sterilized with boiling water for use indoors as fertilizer or mixed with peat moss or coconut coir for home made potting soil.
