Hi Gardener Sandy, I am proudly counted among what has come to be known as an "SOS" (Student of Solomon). What I have learned from being a "SOS" is that all compost is not created equal. From the book "Organic GardenerÂs Composting" by Steve Solomon comes the following: "Many people, including writers of garden books, mistakenly think that the composting ends when the pile cools and the material no longer resembles what made up the heap. This is not true. As long as a compost heap is kept moist and is turned occasionally, it will continue to decompose. "Curing" or "ripening" are terms used to describe what occurs once heating is over." Further explaining: "Rhizobia are not capable of being active in compost piles, but another class of microbes is. Called azobacteria, these free-living soil dwellers also make nitrate nitrogen. Their contribution is not potentially as great as rhizobia, but no special provision must be made to encourage azobacteria other than maintaining a decent level of humus for them to eat Once a compost heap has cooled, azobacteria will proliferate and begin to manufacture significant amounts of nitrates, steadily lowering the C/N. And carbon never stops being digested, further dropping the C/N. The rapid phase of composting may be over in a few months, but ripening can be allowed to go on for many more months if necessary." (See link below: "Curing the Heap"). Those who claim compost is "finished" whenever his or her logic states, should honor the community by explaining exactly where "humus" comes from. It indeed would be of great help if said explanation is of a better caliber than past circle talk that has been offered when such a request manifests. A mixture of both hot and cold composting will provide good quality compost; the deciding factor will forever remain "time". In a pile (cold or hot), in a tumbler, within a lasagna bed, sheet composting, Interbay mulching, or closed anaerobic composting will all provide the same thing, compost; same in fact which too will continue to decompose until humus is achieved. IMO, the time spent working towards whatever goal the gardener/farmer is striving for is the most important part; satisfaction from activity that provides physical participation, gratification for the eyes watching the process, and the delight of reaping what one has sowed is what this is all about to me Blutranes Here is a link that might be useful: Making Superior Compost

You can compost all of it. If it's raw and goes into the center of a hot pile it is cooked pretty fast. My bin for potentially icky stuff - food that might attract rodents, dog poop etcetera is a re-purposed municipal garbage can, one of those 90 gallon jobs, with a few hundred 1/8th inch holes drilled in it for good air flow. You can't handle the stuff a foot or two deep til it cools off because it stays so hot. If it came from a plant or animal it composts, period. If someone is just starting to compost then it is probably a good idea to follow the usual (and incorrect) advice given by cities and the internet to stick with the stuff that won't attract pests or cause an anaerobic mess if mishandled until you get the knack of it and keep a consistently 'hot' pile going and then I bury things with potential pathogens a foot or two deep and put stuff like meat on top because condensation on the lid keeps the top of my compost too wet and I get a thriving colony of soldier fly larvae which can vermicompost a steak, 20 pounds of pumpkins or a horny teenaged boy who brings my daughter home late in no time. Too much of the advice out there is intended to keep newbies from doing something unwise or to keep the squeamish from freaking out. Have a too-dry pile of mostly 'brown' compostables? Fill a gallon jug with urine, mix in a little molasses and spray on your compost and watch those leaves disintegrate as the pile hits 170 degrees. You don't see that advice because pee makes people squeamish but it's cheap nitrogen for the pile and adds moisture and a plethora of major and minor elements required by healthy plants and unless someone has a bladder infection pee is sterile and wasting 5 gallons of water to flush 8oz of pee into our sewage plants is inefficient and irrational.... I'm betting over the next decade the entire population will get smarter about composting and waste disposal. We don't have the space or the water to keep doing silly stuff.

Jay Mabe, I personally would not even bother with the vermiculite/peat. It's unnecessary and costly. I would plant directly into your native soil and then apply compost and any other fertilizers as a top dressing if needed after planting. I would also cover everything with a thick layer of wood chip mulch. Here's a link to put your mind at ease about not using a pre-made mix of soil-less medium (native soils are often just fine for vegetable gardens): https://gardenprofessors.com/why-soil-tests-matter-lessons-from-my-vegetable-garden/?fbclid=IwAR0-dNmatuk8ignkaqlsTaD1drKVigTsSFBL5QvlLHXkeicjoLApipJbPpA

John, I read your latest post about converting your garden. My raised beds I started this year were filled kinda lasagna style with aged horse manure, leaves, pine needles, coffee grounds, whatever I could find last spring. I tossed a little dirt in there (ok, it was some really sandy fill dirt, but I figured it added some sort of mineral content). The bulk of my garden is compost materials. When the garden finished this fall, I very much wanted to dig down to see if there was anything recognizable left in there, but the worms were so thick in there, I felt bad digging around in their world. As far as I did dig, it was all broken down. The beds shrank down by about a third over the season as everything was broken down. I added some more manure and leaves etc this fall. I poked down through the top layer of leaves to check progress, and the worms are making their way through the new stuff as well. By the sheer number of worms are we going to be growing in pretty much pure compost, or worm castings??