Stinking Compost

It was promised that the method for dealing with stinking compost would be discussed in this article. The best place to start is with the cause. The smell was coming only from the 1st 2 bins. A little bit of lime was applied to these bins, but that did not help. Finally it was determined that the smell was actually caused by grass that had been left in bags before being incorporated into the bins.

The solution turned out to be mulched leaves. In the first bin, the grass is being layered with mulched leaves with the leaves always providing a top cover. In the second bin the entire contents of the bin are being covered with mulched leaves. A leaf blower on reverse (vacuum) cycle is being used to mulch the leaves. The leaves from our yard are long used up so the leaves have to come from those that people put on the street. At this time of year that source is diminished, slowing the incorporation of grass into the compost pile.

Fortunately, the grass from our yard that is dumped directly into compost bin does not seem to be a problem. It can decompose aerobically. The leaves in bags have already begun anaerobic decomposition.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/