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Turn scraps, manure, leaves and garden waste into black gold: log each pile, what goes in, when you turn it and how hot it gets, and spread the finished compost on your beds.
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Greens and browns
Aim for about 25–35 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (around 30:1) and the dampness of a wrung-out sponge. Too much green smells of ammonia; too much brown just sits there. These are rough estimates from typical values — your nose and a thermometer are the real test.
The basics
- Greens are fresh, wet and rich in nitrogen: kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, grass, manure. Browns are dry and rich in carbon: leaves, straw, cardboard, sawdust.
- A good rule of thumb is about 2 to 3 buckets of browns for every bucket of greens.
- Keep it as damp as a wrung-out sponge and let air in — turning, or building it over sticks or a pallet.
- A hot pile needs to be at least 3 feet each way. To kill most weed seeds and germs, the middle should stay at 131–150°F for several days, and turning brings the outside into the hot middle. Over 160°F, turn it to let it cool.
- Compost is ready when it is dark, crumbly and smells like the woods, and does not heat up again after turning. Use it as 1–2 inches on beds or mixed into potting soil.
- Raw manure should go on food gardens at least 90–120 days before harvest (the USDA organic rule); well-finished compost can go on at any time.
What can go in
| Material | Kind | About C:N | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetable scraps | Green | 15:1 | Bury them in the middle to keep flies and animals away. |
| Coffee grounds and tea leaves | Green | 20:1 | Paper filters can go in too. |
| Fresh grass clippings | Green | 20:1 | Mix in thin layers — a thick mat goes slimy. Not from lawns sprayed with weed killer. |
| Green weeds and garden trimmings | Green | 20:1 | Weeds with seeds only in a hot pile; leave out bindweed and other spreading roots. |
| Chicken manure and bedding | Green | 10:1 | Very rich — compost it before using it on the garden. |
| Rabbit manure | Green | 12:1 | One of the mildest manures. |
| Cow or goat manure | Green | 20:1 | |
| Horse manure with bedding | Green | 30:1 | Ask whether the horses were wormed recently or fed hay sprayed with long-lasting herbicide. |
| Old hay | Brown | 25:1 | Can carry weed seeds; best in a hot pile. |
| Dry fallen leaves | Brown | 60:1 | Shred them with the mower and they break down twice as fast. |
| Straw | Brown | 80:1 | |
| Pine needles | Brown | 80:1 | Slow to break down; use in moderation. |
| Plain cardboard (shredded) | Brown | 350:1 | Remove tape and glossy coatings. Soak it first. |
| Newspaper (shredded) | Brown | 175:1 | Black-and-white pages only. |
| Sawdust (untreated wood) | Brown | 400:1 | Very high in carbon — a little goes a long way. Never from treated or painted wood. |
| Wood chips | Brown | 400:1 | Slow; better as path mulch than in the pile. |
Leave these out
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Meat, bones, fish and fat | Draw dogs, raccoons and rats and smell as they rot. |
| Dairy and greasy foods | Smell and attract pests. |
| Dog and cat droppings | Can carry parasites that infect people. |
| Diseased or pest-ridden plants | A home pile rarely gets hot enough everywhere to kill them. |
| Weeds gone to seed or spreading roots | Unless the pile stays hot, they come back in the garden. |
| Treated or painted wood, coal ash | Can contain chemicals and metals. |
| Plants or clippings sprayed with herbicide | Some weed killers survive composting and damage tomatoes, beans and peppers. |
| Glossy or coloured paper, plastic “compostable” cups | Most don’t break down in a home pile. |
When something’s wrong
- Smells like ammonia or rot: too wet or too green — mix in dry leaves or straw and turn it.
- Won’t heat up: too dry, too small or too brown — add water and fresh greens, and build it bigger.
- Flies or animals: bury scraps in the middle and cover with browns; keep meat and dairy out.
- Worm bin smells: too much food — feed less and add shredded paper.
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest… shall not cease.” — Genesis 8:22