| Behind every scientific equation in composting lies | | | | describes the chemical composition of your |
| an art form that's different for everyone. | | | | materials, NOT 30 times the amount of brown |
| Composting isn't necessarily a hard thing to do; | | | | stuff to one of the green. With this ratio you're |
| other than the materials, equipment, waste and | | | | bound to reach a hot temperature of about 140 |
| space, all it truly needs on your end is patience | | | | degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for the microbes |
| and commitment. We're not exactly painting the | | | | in your compost to eat up all the carbon and |
| ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but we're going to | | | | nitrogen rich goodies. |
| make a healthy, sustainable garden fit for one | | | | Another recipe that you can follow is the "2 parts |
| with just composting alone! Remember, it's a trial | | | | green, 1 part brown" recipe also found in Home |
| and error method until you find the perfect | | | | Composting Made Easy. This basically means that |
| scientific solution to make your ideal batch of | | | | you can achieve the 30:1 to 50:1 ratio, the latter |
| compost. | | | | being ideal for low temperature compost batches, |
| Let's begin with an explanation of the carbon | | | | by including two parts of green stuff to one part |
| nitrogen ratio, or the C/N ratio. In order for you | | | | brown stuff. For example, if you mix grass |
| to have a successful, usable batch of compost | | | | clippings (17:1), non-diseased and seedy weeds |
| you have to have the right balance between the | | | | (20:1) with dried leaves (60:1) and divide that up |
| brown stuff and the green stuff. Get your mind | | | | by three, you have a product of 32:1, which is |
| out of the gutter! It's not what you really think it | | | | close to the 30:1 average. Of course, you should |
| is! The brown stuff, like dried leaves, tree bark, | | | | play around with your recipe to find the perfect |
| straw and hay have a lot of carbon, and the | | | | fit for your batches. As long as you don't have |
| green stuff like fresh grass clippings, fresh leaves, | | | | too much green or too much brown, you should |
| chicken manure, fruit wastes and food scraps | | | | have a successful batch of ready to use |
| have a lot of nitrogen. This is where the simple | | | | compost! |
| scientific equations come in; actually it might be | | | | Remember, composting is a science and an art |
| better if you think of it more as a cooking recipe | | | | form. Keep working at it and use these basics to |
| because it really is! | | | | find the perfect C/N ratio. |
| According to Home Composting Made Easy, it's | | | | *Referenced from Home Composting Made Easy |
| best if you try to achieve the ideal 30:1 C/N ratio | | | | by C. Forrest McDowell, PhD and Tricia |
| for your compost. This average ratio basically | | | | Clark-McDowell, 2002. |