Sour compost

westfamily9 3/23/2012, 12:47 am

What do I do about sour compost?

**camprn** 3/23/2012, 6:30 am

Add browns. What do you think is in it that has made it sour?

tomperrin 3/23/2012, 7:28 am

westfamily9 wrote:What do I do about sour compost?

Turn it over. Aerate it.

Tom

Lavender Debs 3/23/2012, 8:38 am

tomperrin wrote:
westfamily9 wrote:What do I do about sour compost?

Turn it over. Aerate it.

Tom

+1

Do not add ANY animal products like milk or meat for a while. I would not add left over pasta either. Adding alfalfa helps sweeten compost.

As Camp said, browns are good. Just in case you are not sure, browns are

Fall leaves, chopped is better than whole, whole is better than none at all (My husband and I bag them from sights where we are sure they were not treated with chemicals and save them in bags near the pile all year...add in layers.

Hay-straw Sour hay is fine. My chickens enrich mine before I put it into the compost.

Shredded paper products. Confetti is better than strips, strips are better than sheets. Do not include glossy paper like magazines or coated paper plates. Everyone says to avoid color ink. That is probably smart.

Corn stalks (you won't find these in March, but keep it in mind)

Brush and bark from your chipper, sawdust from your projects or pet bedding (anything enriched with a little poo is good, vegetarian poo (like bunnies and guinea pigs) is best, omnivore poo (chickens, pigs) is ok if you cannot get vegetarian poo. Never add carnivorous poo (dogs, cats)

A few pine needles are ok but personally I prefer them as path mulch. Pine-tar disinfects (think, "kills bacteria" that is good for the pile).

Different people have different ideas and like things on my list more than I do Or hate stuff on my list so as ever, your mileage may vary.

Debs..... turning the pile is still the best thing you can do, keeps you young and builds muscle.

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