Composting at home - Composting Blues? Trouble Shooting
If you are having problems making good compost – don’t give up!
The cause is usually simple and the following advice will help you get back on track:
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Compost has a bad smell | Not enough air / too compacted / too much green material | Turn the pile and add browns |
Too much water | Decrease watering; protect from heavy rain if no lid; turn pile and add browns | |
Meat, dairy, fish etc. in pile | Leave them out, turn pile and add browns | |
Centre of pile is dry | Not enough water | Moisten and turn pile |
Pile has slumped and seems slimy | Too much green material | Turn pile adding lots of browns |
| Exposed kitchen scraps | Cover kitchen scraps with leaves, grass or a sheet of newspaper |
Attracts rats
| Food available | Do not put meat, fish or dairy scraps onto the pile. Put bricks around base of compost bin if necessary |
Seeking warmth in winter | Turn pile and add browns to release built-up heat. Put bricks around base of compost bin if necessary | |
General | Sprinkle cayenne pepper liberally around the pile. | |
| Insufficient moisture | Add water while turning pile or cover top |
Poor aeration | Turn pile | |
Lack of greens | Mix in greens, e.g. grass clippings | |
Check out The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust for more information on solving composting troubles:
- It's Taking too long!
- The wrong sort of visitors!
- Stopping slimey visitors and bad smells