Took me three summers to figure out why my compost pile smelled so bad

Back in 2019 I built a big wooden bin for kitchen scraps and yard waste, but every time I turned it the smell would knock you over. Turns out I was piling on too many grass clippings without enough brown material like leaves or cardboard, and the whole thing went anaerobic. Has anyone else had to rework their whole system after realizing you need way more carbon than you think?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_williams518d ago

Nah, that much nitrogen is EXACTLY what your pile needed.

grace50818d ago

Exactly right. People get so scared of the green stuff but they don't realize a hot compost pile needs that extra nitrogen to really cook. I pile on grass clippings and coffee grounds like there's no tomorrow and my piles hit 150 degrees easy. The browns are important but too many people skimp on the greens and end up with a cold, slimy mess that takes forever. A good rule is to keep layering and don't hold back on the kitchen scraps and fresh manure if you've got it. That heat breaks everything down way faster and kills weed seeds too.