Compost Basics

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Compost- Reduce Food Waste, Protect Our Watersheds and Boost Your Gardens!

Compost not only addresses food waste and is great for our gardens, but it can also help filter out pollutants before they reach our waterways! Compost piles can be large or small depending on your needs and space!

Check out this Composting Flyer linked and also included below for an overview of backyard composting.  

Learn more about home composting here

Backyard Composting Basics:

Organisms

  • Microbes (bacteria and fungi) and soil invertebrates (worms, insects, etc.) chemically and physically break down pile material, recycling nutrients.
  • Without them, composting would not be so fast!

Air (Oxygen)

  • Regularly turning the pile incorporates oxygen for the organisms working in your bin.

Water

  • During dry spells, compost piles may have to be watered.
  • Pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge.

What goes in and what doesn’t:

BROWNS (Carbon-rich materials)

GREENS (Nitrogen-rich materials)

What NOT to add to your pile:

  • Dry leaves
  • Twigs
  • Non-glossy paper
  • Corncobs, straw
  • Cotton balls/swabs
  • Dryer lint
  • Cardboard
  • Sawdust, bark, wood chips
  • Grains, cereals, crackers
  • Green leaves
  • Fruit & vegetable scraps
  • Coffee grounds/filters
  • Tea bags/leaves
  • Egg shells
  • Flowers, dead blossoms
  • Yard/Garden trimmings
  • Hair, fur, feathers, nail clippings
  • Meat, bones, fish, milk products, oils
  • Pet feces
  • Diseased plants
  • Weeds that have flowers or seeds

Alternate layers at a ratio of 2 parts Brown : 1 part Green

Troubleshooting your Compost Pile

Symptom Problem Solution
Pile smells like rancid butter, vinegar, or rotten eggs Too wet or not enough air or too much nitrogen Turn pile; mix in leaves, straw, sawdust, or wood chips
Pile is not heating up Pile is too small, too dry, or has not enough nitrogen Make pile larger, provide insulation, add water while turning, add nitrogen sources
Pile is attracting animals Food scraps are not well covered or meat or dairy products were added Cover food with brown leaves, wood chips, or finished compost; keep meat and dairy out of pile; enclose pile in 1/4-inch hardware cloth
Pile is damp but won’t heat up Not enough nitrogen Mix in grass clippings, food scraps, other sources of nitrogen
Pile is dry Not enough moisture, too much air flow Water and mix well; cover loosely with tarp or landscape fabric to help hold in moisture
Pile is damp and warm in middle but nowhere else Pile is too small Add more material and moisten

Questions? Reach out to N.C. Cooperative Extension Forsyth County Center.
336-703-2850