Compost Troubleshooting Guide

Compost Troubleshooting Guide

Let's face it, sometimes things happen! If you have a problem with your composte pile or bin,
here are some of the causes and cures.

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
Pile too hot (more than 140 degrees)	Not enough ventilation	Mix pile
Attracting Animal or Insect Pests	Wrong materials used in pile	Remove all meat and dairy products
Attracting Animal or Insect Pests	Kitchen waste on pile surface	Bury kitchen waste in pile; mix pile or when using Slow Method, enclose in pest proof bin

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