Learn How To Create The Optimum Carbon/Nitrogen Balanced Compost

If you want more compost than your leaf pile produces and have additional time to commit, you can increase production with a garden compost pile. The key to success is to use organic materials in a mixture that gives you balanced amounts of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium. This nutrient balance makes the difference between a true compost and what is called a “trash heap”.

The microorganisms that make compost require a certain proportion of carbon to nitrogen if they are to do their job efficiently. The waste materials that we use as the carbon and nitrogen sources also contain sufficient amounts of phosphorus and potassium. We can divide the waste products we need into two categories: carbonaceous wastes, which are rich in carbon, and nitrogenous wastes, which are rich in nitrogen. As a rule of thumb, carbonaceous wastes are lightweight, dry, and tan to dark brown in color. Nitrogenous wastes are usually heavy, wet, and green or dark brown in color.


But how do you provide these wastes to your compost in the best proportion? You build your pile with alternating 8-inch layers of carbonaceous wastes and 4-inch layers of nitrogenous wastes. The pile size and shape should be just like the one described for leaves. The right carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is easy to achieve. The nice part about using this method is that you can build your pile as ingredients become available. If you have all your materials present at once and have a good eye for proportions, you can just mix everything together without using layers.

Again, as when you make leaf compost, It is recommended you don't use soil, limestone, or commercial additives with your compost. Work with moist materials, and keep your pile moist at all times. Anytime the material feels drier than a damp, wrung-out sponge, you must add water. You may be wondering whether or not to shred the compost materials. Shredding the compost materials will definitely speed up the composting process. With a bit of shredding you could have compost in three months. You can shred the compost material by making several passes over small piles with your rotary power mower. Not shredding will probably add a few months' time onto the composting process.

You may also be wondering if turning the compost pile is helpful to the process. Turning aerates the pile and speeds up the composting process; but it's hard work. If you do decide to turn the compost, turn it six weeks after you build the compost pile and then again four weeks later, both times using a spading fork. Again, as with leaf compost, there will be a heating phase followed by a cooling off period. Once the compost has cooled down, it's safe to use in your garden. The cooling period will usually vary from three to six months. depending upon the materials you utilized and whether or not you shredded and/or turned the compost. If your pile fails to heat up within two to four weeks of building it, something is wrong. Lack of heat usually means there's not enough nitrogen in the pile. To correct it, add a nitrogen source such as blood meal or green grass clippings to the pile.

If you notice an ammonia-like odor emanating from the compost pile, your problem is excess nitrogen. You can either add some more carbonaceous wastes or ignore the smell, which will stop. Next time you make compost don't use as many nitrogen sources, because the ammonia odor is actually nitrogen wasted into the air. You may also have a rotten egg odor.
This stink comes from lack of air in the compost pile, which can result from prolonged, heavy rains filling the air spaces in the pile. Turning the pile should correct the problem. You can also wait until the pile dries out a bit, and the smell will disappear.

Here are a few more troubleshooting suggestions for your compost pile: Don't add any meat scraps to your pile; if you must add some, bury them deeply so animals can't smell them. If you carelessly place meat scraps near the pile, don't be surprised if you find dogs, cats, raccoons, mice, or even rats on the scene.

Do you have a cat? If so, do not add the used contents of your cat's litter tray to either your garden or compost pile. Cat wastes may harbor the microorganism that causes toxoplasmosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system. While unpleasant for adults, this disease is really bad news for infants. Although it is rare, it's wise not to encourage the microorganisms. And under no circumstances should a pregnant woman handle the litter tray or areas contaminated by solid wastes from cats.

Be equally cautious about sewage sludge. There are two dangers. First, many sewage sludges contain heavy metals, such as lead or cadmium, which result from industrial discharges. Heavy metals are especially hazardous if they enter the food chain and if you eat them with your garden vegetables. The only way to check sludges for these metals is with sophisticated analytical tests done in laboratories. The test results can be evaluated to determine whether or not the heavy metal content poses a hazard. Ignorance in this case is not bliss, but danger. Second, some sludges, if improperly treated, can harbor pathogens that infect humans; again it's not wise to take any chances with their existence in your compost.

One last thought concerns the use of diseased plant material in the compost pile. If you compost correctly, you will destroy disease-causing organisms. Essentially, you must expose all the compost to temperatures over 131°F for roughly three weeks. This means it's important to attain good heating through using the correct pile size, proper balance of carbon and nitrogen-containing materials, sufficient moisture, and enough air. You must frequently mix all outside materials inward to expose all materials to the proper temperature. Remember, the outer edges of a compost pile are cooler than the middle. A far simpler solution to the problem of destroying disease-causing organisms. Don't put diseased plant remains in the compost pile.