Beginner Gardening: Difference between humus and compost??, 4 by Seedfork

Seedfork wrote:
Dinu,
That sounds like such a simple question, but it seems humus is a very complicated thing if you get into the science of it. But just to keep it on a simple everyday gardeners need to know level, I think a usable definition of humus would be the very final stage of finished compost (organic matter of any sort really). Now, that also is a little more complicated than it sounds...just when is compost finished?
For me my compost is finished when it has broken down to the point where I can use it just like seed starting mix, to the point where I don't even need to screen it, it looks and feels soft and almost like soil. For me, finished compost can be stored in large containers and does not break down any further, or at least not noticeably. I have seen the definition of humus given as being the decomposed organic matter in soil, the other part of soil of course being the non-organic or mineral part.
I have included some pics of some of my current compost piles, they won't get used until later in the year, probably Oct.
This article explains it pretty well. The article is pretty long, the first part is about humus, but the entire article is about composting, I thought it was worth a read anyhow.
http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302hsted/030202/03020201...