Compost Troubleshooting Guide

[personified]

Compost Troubleshooting Guide
Problem Possible Causes Solutions

Rotten Odor excess moisture (anaerobic conditions)
turn pile, or add dry, porous material, such as sawdust, wood chips, or straw

compaction (anaerobic conditions)
turn pile, or make pile smaller

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ammonia Odor excess moisture
too much nitrogen (lack of carbon)
Turn pile
add high carbon material, such as sawdust, wood chips, or straw

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Low Pile Temperature pile too small
make pile bigger or insulate sides

insufficient moisture
add water while turning pile

poor aeration
turn pile

lack of nitrogen
mix in nitrogen sources such as grass clippings or manure

cold weather
increase pile size, or insulate pile with an extra layer of material such as straw

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

High Pile Temperature - BEWARE IF IGNITION!!

(greater than 140 degrees Fahrenheit)
pile too large reduce pile size

insufficient ventilation

turn pile

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pests
rats, raccoons, insects presence of meat scraps or fatty food waste
remove meat and fatty foods from pile, or cover with a layer of soil or sawdust, or build an animal-proof compost bin, or turn the pile to increase temperature

 

[personified]

Bacterial Tea

3 cups compost (worm)
½ cup kelp meal
3 oz. blackstrap molasses
3 oz. fruit juice (apple)
½ cup chopped feed hay
3 oz. fish emulsion 1 ½ cups compost
¼ cup kelp meal
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
2 oz. fruit juice (apple)
¼ cup chopped feed hay
1 oz. fish emulsion

Fungal Tea

3 cups fungal compost
3 oz. liquid humates
3 oz. blackstrap molasses
3 oz. yucca extracts (high saponyn)
3 oz. fish hydrolysates (oils)
½ cup kelp meal
½ cup chopped feed hay 1 ½ cups fungal compost
2 oz. liquid humates
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
1 oz. yucca extracts
2 oz. fish hydrolysates
¼ cup kelp meal
¼ cup chopped feed hay

Bacterial/Fungal Tea

1 ½ cups compost (worm)
1 ½ cups fungal compost
½ cup kelp meal
3 oz. liquid humates
3 oz. blackstrap molasses
3 oz. fish hydrolysates
½ cup greensand
½ cup chopped feed hay ¾ cup compost
¾ cup fungal compost
¼ cup kelp meal
2 oz. liquid humates
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
2 oz. fish hydrolysates
¼ cup greensand
¼ cup chopped feed hay

 

[dtp5150]

bad odor could also be from too much proteins/starches ...also they can attract flys....
to remedy do not add as many pastas/breads/cheese/fats and cover with dry grasses/carbon and aerate, and let dry out

 

[Kalyx]

Are those tea recipes for 5 gallons? How long do you bubble your AACT for and at what temp (inside or outside)? Its hot where I live too. Nice info thanks.

 

[personified]

Are those tea recipes for 5 gallons? How long do you bubble your AACT for and at what temp (inside or outside)? Its hot where I live too. Nice info thanks.

I bubble my tea 24 hrs before it is ready and a total of 48 until I use it all up. Yes it is warm here in AZ but in the winter time I place the bucket on a heating pad for seed starting. You could add a fish tank warmer if your area is real cold. Yes it is for five gallons. However you can dillute it and in some cases you may actually want to for smaller plants.

 

[Growop101]

in my case i only add green (wet) leaves and grass clipping, dry clippings and leaves. Fruit and vegtables, peat moss, and toss is alot of weeds i pick outa the garden,
It smells kinda like rotten framenting fruits. Not very nice smelling. it used to smell good now it doesnt once i build a box around it. th box has no top for ventilation and i try to turn the pile daily. it is hard to turn. Ill post a pic up here

 

[personified]

Found this on a garden site thought it was useful

If your city uses chloramine to disinfect the water, you need to tie it up by adding ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or humic acids.