What's That Smell?

It's been 17 days since I've been working on my compost. I add kitchen waste daily (in the very least, the previous days coffee filter with coffee grounds), and turn and water about every other day. After 17 days I can now turn the pile less often as it is starting to turn into a real, active compost heap. How can I tell? It is radiating a small amount of heat from the middle of the pile and is starting to get a smell.

What does the smell mean?

While it is normal for a compost heap to have some smell, it should not be a terribly awful smell. It should be a somewhat earthy smell, not a rotten one. One of the things many people warned me of when I first started up my compost bin was "it's going to smell". In actuality, a healthy compost should not have an awful odor!

If your compost smells rotten it means it is not getting enough air. Giving the pile a good turn will help circulate the air into the pile, and you should find that funky smell dissipate.

If your compost is too dry, it will often have very little to no odor, and may just smell like old grass. Moisten it while turning the pile to ensure it is being wet evenly throughout.

If your compost is too wet you will find it going moldy instead of decomposing like it should. Too much moisture is bad for your compost! Remember; it should have the consistency of a rung out sponge, not a sopping wet one! Turning the pile WITHOUT wetting will help dry it out. Having a lid on the bin can help keep extra moisture out, if you find you are getting more rain than your compost needs. The lid on my bin has plenty of slats with openings to let air in but keep some unwanted moisture out.

If your compost is damp, warm in the middle, but not warm anywhere else, the pile is too small. Try adding more browns to the mix to bulk it up. Mix the old ingredients with the new ingredients well so that the pile is evenly composting.

If the heap is sweet-smelling and damp but will not heat up, it means it is lacking nitrogen. Some nitrogen rich ingredients are fresh manure, bloodmeal or ammonium sulfate.

Cut Up Your Kitchen Waste

I spent about 6 days watering and turning my compost pile (which was slowly looking more like compost and less like dry grass) before I decided it was time to start adding some kitchen waste.

My boyfriend is one of those people who won't eat/drink food that is the day BEFORE the turning date. We had a bag of little white potatoes that were starting to get soft and starting to grow arms and legs... A lot of them would probably have been salvageable, but he insisted he wouldn't eat them. So i decided they would be a good addition to my compost.

Even though they were small potatoes, I cut them up into chunks about the size of a bottle cap. Cutting up your kitchen greens can help speed up the decomposition process. You CAN throw in a whole potato and still have the same end result, but cutting them up is a way to help the microbes break down the food and thus speed it up.

When you add your kitchen waste to your pile, cover it with some browns (dried leaves or grass cuttings) or even just bury it within the pile itself. This will keep it from rotting on top, smelling, and attracting insects and wildlife.

Getting Started

The first thing you need when you begin composting is a place to PUT your compost heap. Depending on where you live (within city limits, apartment complex, country side etc.) you may choose a different type of compost box, or to maybe even simply throw your compost into one big pile on the ground.

I was lucky and when we moved into our house I found a well constructed compost bin already started in the back yard! Our compost bin is much like the "Pallet" style one in the video to the left. It has a removable top as well as two removable pieces to the side; for easier access to the whole pile.

I discovered that most of my compost bin was filled with simply very dry old grass clippings. The general appearance of a compost heap should be damp (about the consistency of a rung out wet sponge), dark, and warm. This pile was dry, somewhat green, and cold. I would have some work ahead of me...

What can be added to a compost heap?
You want your compost heap to contain both browns and greens.

Browns:
Grass clippings
Leaves
Small twigs
Flowers
Non-spreading weeds
Old plants
potting soil
Wood chips
sawdust/sawdust pellets

Greens/Kitchen Waste:
Fruit & vegetable scraps
Coffee grounds (including filter)
Tea leaves
Tea bags
Egg shells


Some things, however, do NOT belong in your compost. It is not a garbage can, after all, and some things cannot break down or will disturb the natural nitrogen and carbon within the heap, causing it to cease decomposition or turn it into a nasty smelling, rotten pile of gunk!

Do NOT Include:

Meat, fish, or dairy products (excluding egg shells)
Diseased or insect infested plants
Weeds gone to seed
Weeds that spread by runners (morning glory, quack grass, buttercup...)
Dog and cat wastes
Large branches
pressure treated, painted or preserved lumber


It takes more than just a pile of browns and greens to create a compost heap. There are a couple of other factors to include, especially if you want rich and quick compost. If you have the time to throw it in a pile and let nature take it's course, or do not have the time to dedicate to speeding up the process, then your compost pile WILL eventually decompose, it will just take a much, much longer time!


Other Factors to Include:
Water
Air

All life needs air and water, and so do the microbes in your compost heap. Turning the pile will help get air to the middle or underneath parts of the pile, and watering it while you turn will make sure the water is evenly distributed and you are not just soaking some parts while others remain dry.

Tools You Need:

a compost bin, guard or place to store your compost
a pitch fork to turn the compost
a shovel to remove compost dirt once it is finished
a hose to water your compost


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I started reactivating my compost by first buying a pitch fork, and giving the pile a good turning while I added some water. Unfortunately I do not yet have a hose and had to fill the dogs large, outdoor water dish and use that!

Mother Nature has been helping me out the past few weeks with lots of April Showers, so I have been able to put off buying a hose for the time being, but it is definitely something I will need to acquire.