|
PROBLEM |
CAUSE |
CURE |
|
Foul odor |
Too wet |
Mix pile several times or add
coarse dry materials (straw, sawdust or chips) and mix |
| Not enough air |
Mix pile or add coarser materials
and mix |
| Too much nitrogen |
Add more brown (high carbon) materials
and mix |
Pile not heating
(Standard and fast methods only) |
Pile too small or
cold weather |
Building larger pile or use an
insulated compost bin |
| Too dry |
Mix pile and moisten each layer |
| Poor aeration |
Mix pile |
| Not enough nitrogen |
Add more green (high nitrogen)
materials and mix |
| Materials too coarse |
Chop or shred coarse materials |
|
Pile too hot (more than 140 degrees) |
Pile too large |
Build a smaller pile |
| Not enough ventilation |
Mix pile |
|
Attracting Animal or Insect Pests |
Wrong materials used in pile |
Remove all meat and dairy products |
| Kitchen waste on pile
surface |
Bury kitchen waste in pile; mix
pile or when using Slow Method, enclose in pest proof bin |
