My Compost Heap: "That's Hot"
If a good ratio of greens and browns are mixed together, bacteria within the pile start to get to multiply and begin eating the waste inside. So, even though morning temperatures are in the high 40s, the bacteria in my pile have the temperature dialed in at over a hundred.
Green stuff -- leafy, moist, and high in nitrogen -- serves to heat things up, while brown stuff -- woody, dry, and high in carbon -- slows things down and keeps the pile from going anaerobic, which is marked by foul odors. Browns are easy to find. Dead leaves, shredded paper, bark can all be had in good quantities. Large amounts of greens are harder to find. Thankfully, Starbucks offers plenty of greens in the form of used coffee grounds. Along with grass clippings and kitchen wastes, they are an excellent source of greens.
Green stuff -- leafy, moist, and high in nitrogen -- serves to heat things up, while brown stuff -- woody, dry, and high in carbon -- slows things down and keeps the pile from going anaerobic, which is marked by foul odors. Browns are easy to find. Dead leaves, shredded paper, bark can all be had in good quantities. Large amounts of greens are harder to find. Thankfully, Starbucks offers plenty of greens in the form of used coffee grounds. Along with grass clippings and kitchen wastes, they are an excellent source of greens.
1 comment:
I've actully been adding grass clippings as browns...I pile them up in the back yard, let them dry out of a few weeks and then add them. They are all brown and dry by them...do you think that is bad? Also, I worry that grass clippings lead to increased weeds in my garden plot...any thoughts?
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