Compost Troubleshooting
Compost Troubleshooting:| Find out how to compost with these great composting tips to keep your garden sustainable.
You've started your compost pile and everything seems to be going well...until you notice a really strange smell coming from your pile...
Sometimes things don't go exactly as planned. This compost troubleshooting guide should help solve the most common problems that you may encounter as you learn how to compost.
Use A Cover To Keep Your Compost From Getting Too Wet
Help! My compost pile stinks!
- This could be caused by a few things. First, your pile may be
too wet. If you take a handful of material from your pile and squeeze
it, it should be damp, but water should not be dripping from the pile.
To solve this, add more brown material and aerate your pile.
- This could also be caused by your pile being too compacted.
To solve
this, you'll need to aerate (turn) your pile. Also, make sure that you
are mixing in fresh grass clippings well and not allowing them to stick
together in a pile.
- If your compost pile smells like ammonia, you'll want to add
brown
material to your pile.
Aerate, Wetten, Chop Leaves & Add Greens + Browns
It's been forever! Why don't have I have any compost?
- If your not getting any compost after a few months, you may
need to make some small adjustments. No worries, the compost
troubleshooting guide is here to help!
- First, check to make sure your pile is not too dry. You do
need a moist
pile for composting to occur.
- Next, have you been aerating your pile? If not, make sure
that you get
out there every few weeks and give it a few turns. If you don't have
the time to do this, you may want to look into a turning bin - it's
less time consuming!
- How about the size of your pile? If it's too small, it may
not compost
properly. Remember the ideal size is between 3' x 3' x 3' and 5' x 5' x
5'.
- What size items have you been throwing in your pile? You may
need to
chop up your leaves and twigs more. This helps to increase the heat in
your pile and speeds up composting.
- Last, have you been adding enough green material? Slow
composting could
be a result of not enough green material.
Composting Tip: Don't Let Your Compost Get Too Hot
My Pile is burning up...literally
- A fire in the yard would not be a good thing! If your pile
seems to be too hot it could be a result of a pile that is too large.
Refer to the correct size pile mentioned above. If you think your pile
is too large, you can split it into two separate piles.
- Too much green material could also result in a very hot pile.
Add more
brown material to your pile and aerate it well. Things should cool down
soon!
How To Keep Animals Out Of Your Compost
Every Animal in the Neighborhood is in My Pile
If you leave food exposed, some curious (and hungry!) animals are likely to find it. To avoid a pest problem, make sure that you are burying food in in the pile.
When you add green material, follow it immediately with a layer of brown material. Also, remember to avoid meat, bones, and dairy. These items will surely attract animals! If pests are still a problem, you may want to consider making a bin with a lid or buying a closed bin.
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Also check out our articles on Composting Indoors, Worm Composting, Backyard Composting, and Backyard Composting for lots of additional great tips.
Also - here are some of our Favorite Books on Composting.
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