Composting is one of the most effective ways to reduce waste, enrich soil, and live more sustainably. Whether you’re composting in your backyard or using a small DIY system in your apartment, composting can be a rewarding experience. However, it’s easy to make a few common mistakes along the way, which can lead to unpleasant odors, slow decomposition, or even failed compost piles. If you’re struggling to make your composting efforts a success, don’t worry—you’re not alone!
In this post, we’ll break down five common composting mistakes that many beginners make and offer simple solutions to help you fix them. With a little attention to detail and a few tweaks to your composting routine, you can ensure your compost pile stays healthy, odor-free, and ready to enrich your garden or indoor plants.
1. Adding the Wrong Materials
One of the most common composting mistakes is adding the wrong types of materials to your compost bin. Composting requires a balance of “greens” (nitrogen-rich materials) and “browns” (carbon-rich materials). While it might seem like anything organic can go in the compost, that’s not quite the case. Certain materials can throw off the balance and slow down decomposition.
What to Avoid:
- Meat, dairy, and oily foods: These items can attract pests and cause unpleasant odors.
- Non-compostable items: Materials like plastic, glass, or metal don’t break down and should never go into the compost.
- Weeds with seeds: While weeds can compost, they might spread seeds that could germinate in your compost and later take over your garden.
- Diseased plants: If you’re composting garden waste, make sure it’s disease-free to avoid contaminating your compost.
How to Fix It:
To fix this mistake, make sure you know what should and shouldn’t go into your compost. A simple guideline is to keep your compost rich in fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, grass clippings, leaves, cardboard, and paper. Avoid adding anything with a strong odor, dairy, or meat.
- Greens: Vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings, and manures.
- Browns: Shredded paper, cardboard, dry leaves, straw, sawdust, and wood chips.
By ensuring you are adding the right mix of greens and browns, you’ll help create a well-balanced compost pile that breaks down efficiently.
2. Too Much or Too Little Moisture
Moisture is essential to the composting process, but getting the right balance can be tricky. If your compost is too dry, it can slow down the decomposition process. If it’s too wet, the material can become compacted, leading to poor aeration and foul smells.
What to Watch Out For:
- Too dry: If your compost feels like dust or is very hard to stir, it’s probably too dry. When this happens, the microbes that break down the organic matter can’t work efficiently.
- Too wet: If your compost pile is soggy, it can lead to anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen), which causes a rotten smell and slow decomposition.
How to Fix It:
The solution to a dry compost pile is simple—add water. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a moist, sponge-like texture. To test it, grab a handful of compost and squeeze it—if water drips out, it’s too wet; if it falls apart, it’s too dry. Add water in small increments and stir the pile to distribute it evenly.
If your compost is too wet, add more dry “browns” like shredded newspaper, cardboard, or dry leaves. These materials will help absorb excess moisture and bring the pile back into balance.
3. Lack of Airflow and Aeration
Composting works best when there’s plenty of oxygen to support the microbes and microorganisms that break down organic materials. If your compost pile is too compact or sitting too long without being turned, it won’t decompose efficiently. A lack of airflow can also lead to unpleasant odors as anaerobic (oxygen-free) bacteria take over.
What to Watch Out For:
- Smelly compost: A stinky compost pile is often a sign that it’s lacking oxygen. When the pile isn’t aerated enough, anaerobic bacteria take over, creating unpleasant smells.
- Compacted pile: If the compost pile has become a solid mass, it’s hard for air to circulate, slowing the decomposition process.
How to Fix It:
To fix this issue, make sure to turn your compost regularly. Aerating the pile helps distribute oxygen and encourages aerobic bacteria to do their job. Aim to turn the compost every few weeks, or at least once a month. If you’re composting indoors in a bin, gently mix the contents with a composting fork or use a stirrer to increase airflow.
Alternatively, if you’re using a tumbler composter, you can simply rotate it to allow air to circulate.
4. Not Having Enough Space
Small composting bins or piles can be convenient, but they sometimes lack enough space to properly break down organic materials. When the pile isn’t large enough, it can have trouble generating the heat needed to accelerate decomposition, especially in cold weather.
What to Watch Out For:
- Slow decomposition: If your compost is slow to break down and feels cold to the touch, it might not have enough mass or space to generate heat.
- Too small a bin: Using a small container without enough material can limit airflow and moisture retention, leading to slow decomposition.
How to Fix It:
If you’re using a small compost bin, consider expanding the size or composting more organic materials at once. A good compost pile should be at least 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall to ensure it heats up properly and decomposes quickly.
For apartment dwellers with limited space, consider using a compact composting bin or a vermicomposting setup, which works well in small environments and doesn’t take up much room.
5. Ignoring the Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio
The balance of carbon (brown) to nitrogen (green) in your compost is crucial for fast and healthy decomposition. Too much nitrogen can result in a slimy, smelly compost pile, while too much carbon can slow down decomposition and result in a pile that takes forever to break down.
What to Watch Out For:
- Too much nitrogen: If your compost smells rotten or becomes slimy, you may have too much nitrogen in the mix. This often happens when you add a lot of food scraps or grass clippings.
- Too much carbon: If the compost is dry and takes a long time to decompose, you might have too many carbon-rich materials like cardboard, leaves, and paper.
How to Fix It:
To fix this issue, aim for a balance of about 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (30:1). You can adjust by adding more nitrogen-rich material (such as fruit scraps or coffee grounds) or more carbon-rich materials (such as dry leaves or shredded paper). If you find that your compost is too wet or too dry, adjusting the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio should help balance things out.
Additional Tips for Composting Success:
- Start Small: If you’re new to composting, start with a small bin or pile and scale up as you get the hang of it.
- Keep It Covered: If you’re composting outdoors, keep your compost pile covered with a tarp or lid to prevent it from becoming too wet or attracting pests.
- Monitor Temperature: If your compost pile is too cold, it may be too small or lack nitrogen-rich materials. In colder climates, consider using a composting bin with insulation.
Conclusion
Composting doesn’t have to be complicated, and with a few adjustments, you can avoid common mistakes and create a thriving compost pile that’s rich in nutrients for your plants and garden. By adding the right materials, keeping moisture in check, aerating regularly, providing enough space, and managing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, you’ll set yourself up for composting success.
As you continue your journey toward sustainable living, consider pairing your composting efforts with eco-friendly cleaning products, like those in our eco-friendly cleaning guide, which can help reduce chemical waste and contribute to a greener home. Happy composting!
