maintaining compost piles

💧When I open a compost pile, I almost always test the moisture before anything else. I scoop a handful, squeeze, and listen. If it feels like a wrung-out sponge—soft, damp, and springy—it’s just right. Too dry, and it crumbles like dust. Too wet, and it squishes, sour-smelling and heavy. Moisture is the quiet driver of…