You're not " missing " any thing . Throw on what you have , when you have it . Turn it when you feel like it or not . Obviously , I am a lazy composter . Compost happens .
I have not added leaves - just don't have any . So I add hay and cardboard , dryer lint and shredded paper . I don't measure . I just add it when I find some and then throw green looking stuff on the browns when I have that . Eventually , I find beautiful dirt under the bottom of the pile .

Thanks for the suggestion gatormomx2. How long using the "lazy" method does it normally take to find usable compost lurking in the container, give or take?

The reason I was asking about a ratio is that I have to watch for odors, living in such close quarters with neighbors in a suburban type setup. Letting it go anaerobic for any length of time is bound to generate complaints.

Some people tend to get to technical about composting. My primary source of material comes from the yard and I try to blend 1/3 greens to 2/3 browns and it heats up plenty fast. Mother Nature is pretty forgiving with our partnership with her.

John

In the top right hand corner of the photo, you can see the loading dock for the local post office. I have been composting in this area for 35 years and not one complaint. And I have used various farm manures at time to time.

John

{{gwi:284606}}

As long as you don't overdo the greens, you shouldn't have to worry about smells. And if it does get stinky, just add more browns.

For most urbanites, that means go easy on the grass clippings. But too much manure if you have access to it, can also be a problem.

Of course, smell is also relative. I had a neighbor who could smell a cockroach fart at 50 paces, so it was pretty much impossible to keep him happy. ie. I'd mulch a tree with damp leaves in the summer, and they would smell a bit for a day or two as they dried out and he'd complain about it. Thankfully he's moved...

Cheers,

Tim

I've never noticed anything but an earthy (soil) odor around compost. It is not a pervasive scent and it is not unpleasant. Since you are using a bin, it will be easy for you to conceptualize ratios. Estimate how much you have in the bin by how full it is, then add your browns accordingly. It doesn't have to be exact "science".

How quickly compost breaks down depends upon how often you turn it, and how moist you keep it. Leftover tea is supposed to be a good kick start for compost. It has enzymes which help to speed up the decomposition process. You know you are doing a good job of it, when earthworms appear in your compost bin.

Good luck!
Lorna

The 30:1 ratio is by weight, Carbon to Nitrogen. However, most of the items that we compost are rarely just Carbon or just Nitrogen. Most items are part carbon and part nitrogen. Some having more C, some having more N.

Most of what we call "greens" have quite a bit of carbon in them too. To do it spot on, you would weigh everything and then multiply by those weights by the percent of C or N in each item...

I would not do that though...it doesn't need to be that precise to compost.

I generally think 3:1 browns to greens, rather than 30:1 C to N...

I also think sometimes you just have to do it, to get a feel for it, because its not like you can do it wrong. The worse thing that can happen is that it will go smelly and that is easy to fix by adding more browns.

Thanks for the answers everybody, they give me some direction to go by.

A follow up question: A lot of sites I've been to seem to get a bit retentive, so to speak, about what kind of browns you can use. Is there a problem with using cardboard/newspaper (not glossy)/computer paper as a brown, along with dried grass, or is this another one of those "don't get too technical" type of questions?

I've access to lots of straw as well, from a farm owned by my wife's family that raises sheep. Is straw a suitable brown for bulk use (chopped up of course) or is it "add only a little"?

Is there a problem with using cardboard/newspaper (not glossy)/computer paper as a brown, along with dried grass,...

Straw is often considered the ideal carbon - no debate on its use. The others have debate associated with them - rightly or wrongly - so ultimately it's your choice. I will hazard the statement that "for the majority of us", cardboard/newspapers are fine carbons to use in moderation.

Dried grass is, for all practical purposes, a "green" and should be treated as such. Even well dried and brown it is still 90% nitrogen. ;)

Dave

Hi Mike & Welcome!
Congratulations on taking the plunge!
I agree w/joepyeweed - 3:1 ratio of average items works well for me too.

Here's my experience - I compost in a bin - a self-made 33 gal rubbermaid that's got some drilled holes & bottom cutout & is hidden in a corner (also have a HOA). I happen to like getting "nearly finished" compost sooner (& I don't screen b/c too much of a setup for my small HOA space) rather than later for a few reasons
- would rather use my "good wholesome" quality compost in the garden than bagged compost
- would rather use my almost $0 cost than pay for bagged compost
- enjoy replenishing the earth w/my kitchen scraps than filling a landfill w/it

I mention these b/c everyone has their individual reasons for composting - and a lot of times, the reasons inform what one does & why.

So, I like to my compost to be done sooner rather than later - so, I do a few things (that others might not do) & I like the results - BUT after you compost for a little while, I believe that you'll find your own groove w/a little experimentation & you'll find out what you enjoy & what "works" for you, so here's my thoughts/experience for you to build on & take w/"a grain of salt":
- I cut things small - in a container & given the "rate" of 2 mos or less for my desired "almost-finished" compost, I find the smaller the pieces the better
- that means that instead of just chopping off the tops of the celery - I keep chopping up the tops & then put into the countertop crock - it works for me, it may "burden" others - so do what works for you
- I use a countertop crock (stainless steel) to put all my kitchen scraps (including used napkins, papertowels w/o cleansers) for one or two days & then take to compost - sometimes I put coffee & UCG in there, sometimes I keep them in their own separate container
- b/c I don't have a paper shredder & would rather not spend the time to tear pressed board, cardboard, paper towel inner tubes, scrap paper, envelopes, junk mail, etc into finger-sized pieces, these usually get torn into pieces as small as time & my patience allows, which is, well, not too small
- my compost pile really likes beer (which I drink about 2x a year, so if I'm buying beer from a package store, it's probably for the compost) - it heats up & the slugs come - which means that they stay out of my garden
- I LOVE to turn my compost - I have a pitch fork which allows me to get down into the top 2/3 of the rubbermaid when full - I enjoy the exercise, the checking out the pile, feeling the "heat," adding the oxygen, the analyzing (I love analyzing things, so of course, I enjoy doing that w/my compost, others feel differently), etc., So, I enjoy turning my pile everyday, which usually doesn't happen if I'm busy w/work or it's raining. With the lid on the container 75% of the time, I believe that the turning adds the much-needed oxygen that it doesn't get b/c it's in a container.
- As to the bottom 1/3, it really tends to get compacted in the bottom of the rubbermaid, so I've added some additional air holes down there & I've gotten a "bulb auger" attachment for my drill, which I haven't had a chance to use yet b/c it's been too rainy here.
- I usually leave the lid (has no holes in it) on my rubbermaid container, except when I'm home for a little bit on a non-rainy day, then I know that if anyone (say, from HOA) comes snooping, I can deal w/it. Also, it gives me more confidence (although I probably don't need extra precautions b/c there's no "odor") that little guys - or big black bears - from the nearby woods will stay out.
- As to greens/browns, I usually go by moisture & smell, and adjust accordingly. I'm usually adding a thin layer of leaves (or torn pressed board, etc.) on top to discourage aromas wafting into the nearby woods anyway. And so, when I empty the countertop crock, I'm usually adding a couple handfulls of browns (yesterday it was from my "stash" of cut up old white cotton socks & paper towel tubes). Again, too much moisture, I usually add more browns. Looking/feeling lame, I usually add more greens & cut back on the "browns." I go by feel.

Fastest compost I made in the bin was last October 1 - 22 (ish) - compiled it all at once - from a lot of garden scraps - especially chopped up tomato plants & spent butterfly bush blooms and leaves (whole, not shredded) and shredded paper/pressedboard and kitchen scraps - turned it (almost) every day. Reduced in volume by about 1/3. Came out wonderful - not perfect, but wonderful for me.

I don't really like doing it that way all the time b/c without a 2nd compost bin to accumulate stuff, it doesn't allow me to continue composting stuff & it "forces" me to have all the stuff on hand all at once - I just give you this experience w/these factors so you can have some sense of other peoples' experiences & timeframes.

Hope this helps, and keep asking questions! Wishing you,
All the Best, Tree

PS Which type of "bin" did you buy? What does the manufacturer recommend about turning, moisture, etc.?

PPS I added a link below to get your brain "brainstorming" about compost ingredients in your house (including browns) that you may not have considered before.

Thanks for the information. :) Having a hard time posting on this forum for some reason, timing out, may be my local connection.

My composter is what I consider a more or less "entry level" kind you'd use in a situation where you have nearby neighbors. It's a SoilSaver, seems to be 3x3x3 in size.

When you are at your in laws getting straw, hit em up for a couple sacks of the sheep manure. It probably has the straw all ready mixed.

john

I'm a really lazy composter with a strict HOA. Since my mom moved in with me while doing her chemo treatments I have gotten even more lazy. Mostly kitchen scraps and whole paper plates (the Costco ones). I have also put in some grass clippings (my dog is allergic to grass so we can't mulch mow every time) and torn up soda/cereal boxes. Dh stirred it once with the Awesome Auger but otherwise it's just dumping the stuff out when I have it.

My point is it still has great almost finished compost on the bottom and it doesn't smell at all. My brother and SIL were just visiting and commented on the lack of smell. They are now planning on starting to compost. My neighbors have never given any indication they know I have one.

My composter is the one from Costco. It's okay but I wish it didn't have a floor and I had to put it back together with cable ties because the connectors all broke. I have had it a year now and have filled it twice. I dumped the first incompletely composted batch in a new raised bed last fall. DH said it looked like garbage since you could still id stuff but now you can't tell and the garden is doing wonderfully!!!

I want to try vermicomposting next. I figure that will save room in the outside bin for the grass and cardboard and I can play with the worms!

One question MiddleMike asked that hasn't been adressed thoroughly yet is where do we get the browns to balance all those kitchen scraps we run out every day? Many of us hoard browns someplace (they don't break down very fast on their own) and add them as needed to balance the greens. I collect other people's bagged leaves, I stockpile about 30 bags in the fall. If you don't have space in your yard or don't like their appearance, just stack a few bags in your garage in the fall. We also save the results from chipper-shredding branches and use those as browns.

I don't worry about how much of what kind to put in. We add a LOT of greens (we compost old produce from a local stand) so we just fling in leaves as needed. If it gets smelly, that means we aren't putting enough leaves in. When we did "normal" household composting at our first home, a townhouse with a HOA, it was right behind the house under our bedroom window. It never smelled a bit and the neighbors had no idea it was there, we put it between the house and the air conditioner in a ring of chicken wire.

Marcia

Marcia--I'm curious how you keep those stockpiled leaves from getting too wet and going anaerobic.

I've never had an overabundance of leaves before, but so far this spring I've spread 10 bags on the lawn and mowed them in and also added 3 or 4 to the compost. All of them really smelled bad. I could open the bags and wait a couple of weeks (everything dries out here in a couple of weeks). But is there an approach that I'm missing to store leaves over winter?

I am really new to this and have had tons of questions and still do! You have come to the right place-these folks really know their composting!!

I bought my composter at Costco, 4 sided, no bottom, with a lid. I live in a place that has a HOA. That tells it all. Anyway, when I first started I too was worried about ratio, but then after reading lots of posts, I decided to say whatever! I just add things as they come along. I cannot get leaves to use as browns, so I take all my junk mail, and shred it. I also rip up newspaper, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, and use those. So far,so good. In the beginning it was too wet, so I mixed in a bunch of shredded paper and that worked. Then last week, I went to Starbucks, got some coffee grinds, and dumped those in with some grass clippings. WOOHOO!! Pile is HOT and doing it's thing.

Also, used napkins, paper towels, tissue paper from gifts, etc. All that are browns. Look at the list treein nj gave above, it will help a lot. Also, do a search using this forum, and you will come up with more "brown" ideas. Another point, "google" composting and browns. You will have enough info to read for quite awhile. Believe me, I know!!

Good luck!!

bpgreen asked how I keep my stored leaves from the dreaded anaerobic decay. They are mostly in plastic bags and tied shut, so they don't get extra moisture into them. When they are raked in the fall it is usually cold and dry I guess.

Some of the bags open themselves up, so sometimes they get wet, but then they are open so just compost a little faster. The only ones that ever smell funny when opened are ones that contained both weeds or grass clippings and leaves. I try to avoid those, but I just feel the outside of the bags mostly, I don't like to open them when collecting or I make a mess. Mostly I am trying to avoid bags with lots of sticks.

Marcia

Thanks, Marcia.

I guess next year, I'll be more careful and either make sure all the bags are sealed or "leaky" enough. I know one neighbor gave me bags that he said had a lot of green leaves in them. Maybe those are the ones that got so stinky.