Except for the value of the labor you put into making it, compost can cost nothing. I detailed my composting method last December here.
Today I cleaned up the compost I had made last fall. I have a nice large pile shown in the picture. I’ll definitely have enough to put more than a couple buckets into each of my beds.
I had neglected the pile after I made it last fall, but getting it into shape was quite easy. I had to pull out quack grass, burdock and horseradish, but nothing else. The horseradish volunteered from some crowns I carelessly threw onto the pile last November. Burdock and quack grass are endemic to our landscape and the compost bed is in the middle of a stand of burdock and nettle.
Fortunately, pulling weeds out of a compost pile can be quite easy. It’s so soft you can practically lift things right out. I used my CobraHead to pull out the grass, I used a fork to loosen the horseradish, and I used both tools to loosen the burdock.
I pulled out many clean burdock roots. This is the only time it’s been easy for me to out the whole burdock root. They are in the picture along with a few Jerusalem artichokes, which I pulled out when I was cleaning a perimeter around the pile. We’ll try the burdock and girasols in a stir-fry. Supposedly good and good for you. We’ll let you know.