Compost should be in the shade and should not dry out, in times of long drought it is recommended to water. The individual layers should be covered with soil. I put waste of vegetables and fruits and leaves in the compost and sprinkle it with cut grass. The cut grass must be spread loose, not pressed or trampled. Mostly compost matures by the second year. I don't cover him with anything in the winter, I let him sink in the snow. In the spring, I add compost to fruit trees, shrubs and the rest to vegetable beds. If you put sod in the compost, then the roots go up. I do not sift compost, nor do I toss it, even if it is recommended.