Compost successfully made in compost bin despite half-hearted effort

A lot of work is supposed to go into making good compost:

• chop what you put in it small (I sort of did this, I chopped some things and put others straight in because I couldn't be bothered)
• regularly turn it (I largely skipped this part)
• water it if it gets to dry (I almost entirely skipped this part)
• make sure you include a balanced mix of browns (tougher, drier stuff) and greens (softer, moister stuff) (I was pretty OK at this)
• not include anything so tough and woody it's never going to break down, especially not if not chopped small (I was bad at this, I often add things to my compost heap that are very tough and not chopped. Sometimes I take them out entirely later and sometimes I just send them back round if they reach the bottom without composting)
• not include anything that will attract rats, such as fat or meat (I was excellent at this)
• not include weeds or seed heads (I was poor at this, but I did exclude seed heads, tap roots and weeds I know to be problem weeds in compost - my failure is probably best exemplified by the fact my compost heap currently has poppies growing out of it)
• not include any diseased vegetable matter (I was pretty good at this, some things that shouldn't have got in there probably did, but I made an effort to avoid doing this, I really don't want to spread disease in my garden)

Considering how badly I followed the rules, I turn out to have made excellent looking compost. When I removed the front slats from my home-made compost heap (instructions on how to make it are available here), there was a lot of well-composted compost at the bottom. I can't help thinking that given my failure to apply the proper rules of composting in full, that the design of the compost bin must have aided me. It certainly made it much easier to get the compost out than those plastic bins you can buy with just a small door at the front.

I was able to scoop most of the compost out with a fork and spade before the compost above it fell down and took its place. I didn't manage to get right to the back before that happened, but I think I got most of the way there. I think I got about 4 or 5 large tubs full, which I've spread over my squash, tomato and brassica beds, plus a little bit around my sweet corn. I'm pleased to say that there was enough of it that I'm now no longer worried about not buying composted horse manure this year.

I was a little surprised to find that there weren't any worms in my compost, only woodlice. Given how full of worms my garden is, I can only assume that this was because I haven't been keeping it watered and they may well have been in there over winter with all that wet weather, but left when the compost dried out.

After I'd taken all the thoroughly composted compost out, I gave the top part a mix and encouraged it to settle down into the empty part of the compost bin. The compost heap is now much lower, with plenty of room to add more organic matter. Previously compost was heaped above the top of the bin.

Now I've spread my compost I've planted my squashes out. I have my fingers crossed they're not all consumed by slugs and snails as has happened to me in years gone by. I'm not sure if I've still got time to propagate new ones from seed.

Providing they don't meet death by snail, they should pretty quickly fill this bed, then make a bid for more space by crawling across the lawn - unless they don't get enough light; this is the shady side of my garden.
I've also put up the bamboo canes and planted out my remaining beans. There aren't enough of them to fill the canes, so I'm hoping some more of my beans successfully grow. It's not looking good so far, but we'll have to wait and see.