Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Living
Quick Guide to Composting
Quick Compost
Photo Courtesy of CCAT, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
If you need compost in a hurry, speed up the process by turning the pile with a pitchfork once a week. Mixing the compost allows oxygen into the center of the pile, where it encourages the growth of bacteria and fungi. A pile that is turned regularly will become finished compost in four to eight months. Fresh manure will activate the pile, causing it do decompose more quickly. Lime and fresh manure counteract each other, so it's best not to use both in you compost pile.
Particle size has a lot to do with the speed of decomposition. If you don't have a shredder for your leaves and small twigs, try running the lawn mower over them before you add them to the pile.
Making a Compost Bin
Many types of compost bins are available at your local garden center. Some of these have devices for turning and removing compost. Although these bins make turning easier and are more convenient, they aren't necessary. An enclosure made from chicken wire or five wood pallets (one for the bottom and one for each side) does the job just as well.
What to Compost
- kitchen waste
- lawn clippings (use thin layers so they don't mat down)
- chopped leaves (large leaves take a long time to break down)
- shredded branches
- garden plants (use disease-free plants)
- shredded paper
- weeds (before they go to seed)
- straw or hay
- newspaper
- wood ash (sprinkle lightly between layers)
- hay
- tea leaves and coffee grounds
What Not to Compost
- Meat scraps and fatty trash
- excessive wood ashes (counteracts with manures)
- sawdust generally slows the decomposition of the pile.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Unpleasant odor | Too much nitrogen | Add high carbon material such as straw, pine needles, grass clippings or vegetable trimmings and aerate. |
| Compaction | Aerate. | |
| Overwatering | Add dry leaves or wood chips to soak up water and aerate. | |
| Pile not heating up | Lack of nitrogen | Add a nitrogen source such as fresh manure, grass clippings or blood meal. Mix the pile. |
| Pile needs to be turned | Mix pile by bringing outside material to the center. | |
| Low moisture | When watering make sure the moisture gets to the center of the pile. Try poking deep holes in the pile before watering. | |
| Compost is finished | Finished compost smells earthy rather than rotten or moldy and is dark and crumbly. | |
| Compost is damp and only the center is warm | Pile is too small | Add more compost material. |
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