Stinky compost ? Here ’s what ’s causing the odors and how to make your compost pile smell considerably .
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Key Takeaways
perverse to popular belief , compost piles are n’t hypothesize to smell out bad , and a well - kept compost heap should smell out just a little earthy . However , compost can set out to smell like rotten eggs , ammonia , or worse if thecomposting process go awryor the compost pile has become imbalanced in some way . Here are the most common understanding compost tidy sum get stinky , and easy jam that will make them smell much unspoiled .
Why Compost Piles Smell
Thecomposting processdepends on aerobic bacteria and other beneficial microbe that thrive in an atomic number 8 - rich environs . When O is reduce in compost pile , these “ good guy cable ” bacteria start to pass away , which can stanch or disrupt the compost process . Some of the most vulgar reasonableness why this happen include :
How to Fix Smelly Compost Piles
Compost piling can get smelly at any time of the year , but they ’re more probable to stink when the weather condition warms in leaping and summertime . Use the following strategy to help your compost stilt odour well promptly , concentrate the chances that it ’ll pull in unwanted care from garden pests — or neighbors .
1. Aerate More
The most common reason compost piles embark on to smell is pitiful air current and a lack of O . This can be remedied by aerating compost passel on a regular basis with a garden forking or shovel , or with the help of acompost tumbler . precisely how often you need to aerate compost varies depending on your compost ingredients and the time of the year , but once every three or four years is recommend for red-hot compost piles .
2. Use More Brown Materials
Well - managed compost piles should contain about 3 share carbon - rich ingredients for every 1 part N - rich token , such as kitchen scrap . If your megabucks hold too many kitchen scraps , compost can become soggy , which can take to reduced airflow , slowed composting , andunpleasant smells . To stave off this , always total brown ingredients or “ bulking materials ” into your compost when you mix in kitchen scraps .
Examples of chocolate-brown materials include :
3. Reduce Moisture
Adding large quantities of wet kitchen chip is one reason compost gets waterlogged . Compost wad can also become water - laden and smelly if they ’re left open to the element or closed too tightly .
If you ’re dealing with soggycompost in an enclosed binor covered heap , remove the bin lid or covering on sunny sidereal day so some of that superfluous moisture can vaporise . For even right results , deform your compost while it ’s uncovered . However , if the compost is soggy and open to the air , tot a lid to the bank identification number to keep the rain out , or set up a tarp or other covering over your compost in wet weather .
Piling dry material like sens - gratis shuck orautumn leaves over compost pilescan also concentrate unpleasant olfactory perception .
Credit:Photo: Curtoicurto / Getty Images
4. Add an Accelerator
Compost starter and acceleratorscan be added to new or established compost piles to jumpstart compost and help compost break down faster and in a less - smelly way . Store - bribe accelerators typically contain a mixture of good microbes that speed up compost , but you’re able to also use products you already have at home as compost accelerators , such ascompost teaor bokashi tea harvested from bokashi composters .
5. Improve Drainage
Locating compost piles in a well - draining billet can avail insure compost does n’t stay soggy for long . If your compost bin is in a location that does n’t drain well and you ca n’t move it elsewhere , you may want to grade the stain around your compost bin orinstall a Gallic drainor other drainage organization . This directs water awayfrom your composter and further piles to dry out faster .
6. Avoid Meat and Dairy
Some food scraps are more potential to get smelly than others , and that ’s decidedly unfeigned of center and dairy . Most compost pros suggest notputting meat and dairy farm in composters due to their smelly nature and trend to pull in pests .
If you need to compost meat and dairy , choose abokashi compost system , which is the only composter approved for these items .
7. Experiment with Odor-Absorbing Products
Biochar and zeolite are all - natural product that can be added to compost piles to absorb unpleasant smell , meliorate aeration , and help soggy piles dry out . Biochar is essentially a high - grade charcoal that can be made at home , while zeolite is a mined mineral that ’s often sold at stock provender stores or garden centers . These products are unremarkably used in garden as soil conditioners , but they officiate like poriferan in compost piles by absorbing superfluous weewee and smelling .
