WHY Your compost STINKS and How to Fix It #garden #compost, by Kelly Welk on YouTube. 2 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Open the bin and look at the contents. Note whether it is slimy and wet or dry and matted, and whether it smells sour or like ammonia.
Add a generous layer of browns such as shredded paper, torn cardboard or dead leaves. Aim for roughly two parts brown to one part green scraps.
Mix the browns right through the wet scraps with a fork. Break up clumps so the material is loose and crumbly, not a soggy mat.
Turn or tumble the whole pile to push air through it. Do this every few days while the smell settles.
Check the moisture by squeezing a handful. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge, so add water if it is dusty or more browns if it drips.
Bury new kitchen scraps in the centre of the pile instead of tipping them on top. This keeps flies and smells down.
Leave the lid on and give it a week. The pile should warm up slightly and start smelling earthy rather than sour.
Tips and common mistakes
Never add meat, dairy, oily food or pet waste to a home compost bin, as these rot and smell fast.
Keep a small lidded container in the kitchen and empty it every day or two so scraps do not ferment.
If the bin sits in full sun and stays wet, move it to shade or leave the lid off briefly on a dry day.
Questions
Why does my compost smell like rotten eggs?
That usually means the pile has gone anaerobic because it is too wet and packed down. Add browns, turn it well and the smell should clear within a week or two.
Can I fix smelly compost in winter?
Yes, but it works more slowly in the cold. Add browns and turn it when you can, and expect the smell to fade once the pile warms up in spring.
Should I add lime to stop the smell?
Not usually. Fixing the brown-to-green balance and adding air solves most smells without any additives.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
