Composting - Useful Tips to Avoid a Smelly Compost
If there is a smelly whiff coming from the direction of your compost heap and you can smell the odor in almost every corner of your garden and property, it is time to apply one of the following tips to get your heap back to a nice "earthy" smelling one.
But before I get there let me explain the reasons behind a bad smelling compost heap.
Truth is compost should not smell bad at all.
Very often a lack of air, i.
e.
oxygen deficiency is the main problem that leads to anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions within the compost pile.
Having a good aeration throughout the pile is necessary to provide an optimal aerobic (with oxygen) environment for all the active micro organisms (like bacteria) that do the magic and turn all the green waste materials into nice, nutrient rich compost.
If that is not the case and anaerobic conditions are predominantly, fermenting processes will cause the heap to be smelly and wet.
There are three main reasons why this can happen: 1.
Overloading the heap with materials so it is too compressed 2.
The heap contains too much moisture 3.
Sometimes people place layers of soil within the compost 1.
Avoid overloading your heap with too many heavy materials.
It is better to add smaller particle sizes of materials and quantities to the compost.
This allows the organisms to break it down much easier and faster as smaller pieces of material have a larger surface area for the organisms to work on compared to bigger pieces that have a smaller surface area.
If you have a lot of green waste it is useful to have more than one compost bin, so you can separate the piles into a new material pile, a turning pile and a matured / finished pile.
2.
Avoid too much moisture Moisture is one of the important factors that aid to a good composting process.
Too much moisture however can inhibit or stop the process.
If your compost heap is exposed to heavy rain it is good to cover it or to put a lid on the compost bin.
If you have a lot of moist materials (e.
g.
fresh green leaves, fresh lawn clippings) within the heap mix some dry materials, such as sawdust, straw or shredded paper into it.
The dry materials will absorb the excess moisture and bring the heap back to balance.
3.
Avoid adding layers of soil within the compost heap It is good to mix some soil into a heap to initiate the composting process by adding worms and other active organisms to it.
However, placing too many layers of soil within the heap and on top of each layer of waste material can destroy the compost heap.
The layers of soil cause the heap to compress and it will lead to a smelly and wet mix that takes ages to decompose.
Conclusively, it is important to provide aerobic conditions throughout the compost heap.
To achieve that, you need to turn your heap over regularly.
You can also put plastic pipes with drilled holes along their length vertically into the heap to promote aeration.
At the base of the heap you can place bricks in an open-layered design to provide air channels.
But before I get there let me explain the reasons behind a bad smelling compost heap.
Truth is compost should not smell bad at all.
Very often a lack of air, i.
e.
oxygen deficiency is the main problem that leads to anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions within the compost pile.
Having a good aeration throughout the pile is necessary to provide an optimal aerobic (with oxygen) environment for all the active micro organisms (like bacteria) that do the magic and turn all the green waste materials into nice, nutrient rich compost.
If that is not the case and anaerobic conditions are predominantly, fermenting processes will cause the heap to be smelly and wet.
There are three main reasons why this can happen: 1.
Overloading the heap with materials so it is too compressed 2.
The heap contains too much moisture 3.
Sometimes people place layers of soil within the compost 1.
Avoid overloading your heap with too many heavy materials.
It is better to add smaller particle sizes of materials and quantities to the compost.
This allows the organisms to break it down much easier and faster as smaller pieces of material have a larger surface area for the organisms to work on compared to bigger pieces that have a smaller surface area.
If you have a lot of green waste it is useful to have more than one compost bin, so you can separate the piles into a new material pile, a turning pile and a matured / finished pile.
2.
Avoid too much moisture Moisture is one of the important factors that aid to a good composting process.
Too much moisture however can inhibit or stop the process.
If your compost heap is exposed to heavy rain it is good to cover it or to put a lid on the compost bin.
If you have a lot of moist materials (e.
g.
fresh green leaves, fresh lawn clippings) within the heap mix some dry materials, such as sawdust, straw or shredded paper into it.
The dry materials will absorb the excess moisture and bring the heap back to balance.
3.
Avoid adding layers of soil within the compost heap It is good to mix some soil into a heap to initiate the composting process by adding worms and other active organisms to it.
However, placing too many layers of soil within the heap and on top of each layer of waste material can destroy the compost heap.
The layers of soil cause the heap to compress and it will lead to a smelly and wet mix that takes ages to decompose.
Conclusively, it is important to provide aerobic conditions throughout the compost heap.
To achieve that, you need to turn your heap over regularly.
You can also put plastic pipes with drilled holes along their length vertically into the heap to promote aeration.
At the base of the heap you can place bricks in an open-layered design to provide air channels.
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