Can I use smelly compost?

Stinky smells are a good indicator that your compost pile is too wet and has gone anaerobic.
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Can you use stinky compost?

Does Compost Smell? A properly balanced compost pile should not smell bad. Compost should smell like dirt and if it does not, there is something wrong and your compost pile is not properly heating up and breaking down the organic material.
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Can I use compost that smells like poop?

While compost is supposed to smell earthy, it shouldn't smell like poop, rotten eggs or putrid garbage. This means that there is more rotting material in the pile than compost. If your compost is slimy, stinky and seems to be turning black, then it would be best not to use it for your plants.
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What should you do if your compost pile is too stinky?

Piles too heavy in green materials (food scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, etc.) will leave your pile smelling of ammonia. If your pile smells this way, increase your browns (shredded newspaper, pine needles, straw, etc.) and aerate by turning your pile.
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Why does my compost smell rotten?

A compost pile that smells like rotten eggs or rotting vegetables has gone anaerobic. This means that there is not enough oxygen to support aerobic microbes and the anaerobic ones have taken over. Unfortunately, they produce hydrogen sulfide as a by-product and hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs.
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THIS is Why Your Compost Smells | How to Fix Smelly Compost



Can I use compost that smells like ammonia?

If your compost smells sour like ammonia, the most common reason is too much green material and/or a lack of brown material. You should use 2 to 3 times as much browns as greens. Always cover your greens with a layer of browns like leaves.
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Is it OK to put moldy food in compost?

Answer: You can add moldy food (vegetables and fruits only) to a backyard composting bin anytime. Mold cells are just one of the many different types of microorganisms that take care of decomposition and are fine in a backyard bin.
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How long does it take for compost to stop smelling?

All you really need to do is mix all your food waste in the bin with the Bokashi bran and press down on everything in there to get rid of any air pockets. You'll have a finished compost pile after about 2 weeks, but it's important to note that compost will be too acidic to use in your garden.
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Can slimy compost be saved?

Fortunately, soggy compost is fairly easy to fix. If relentlessly wet weather is part of the problem, place a loose-fitting lid or tarp over the pile. You'll also need to turn the pile over and fluff it up thoroughly.
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Can compost get too old?

Despite its ingredients, it really can't go bad. Finished, bagged compost can lose structure and nutrition over time, but this only results in a less-beneficial amendment. Compost piles have four different possibilities for going wrong, but they won't spoil and go bad.
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What will happen if you left the compost too long?

If you leave compost in the pile, in a bag or bin too long, it can still be good to use for years as long as you control moisture levels, cover it and store it in a dry place. But gradually it will break down, nutrients will leach and compost can start to rot as well as it can get contaminated with fungus.
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Why does my compost smell like sewage?

The Pile Is Too Wet

A wet pile is easily one of the most common causes of smelly compost. If the pile stays too wet, the beneficial microbes that break down the pile can't do their job, and you get a decaying, putrid odor to the pile instead of the sweet smell of good compost.
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Why does my compost smell like urine?

2. Your Compost Smells Like Ammonia (Urine-like) Charming, right? If your compost pile smells like a backed up outhouse toilet mid-August, then it's very likely that the pile has too much nitrogen ("green") materials for the amount of carbon ("brown") to properly aerate and break down.
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What does healthy compost smell like?

A healthy compost pile shouldn't have a bad smell to it. It should basically have a pleasant earthy smell like dirt.
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Can I use wet compost?

If your compost heap is too wet, dig it out completely, then turn the ingredients to incorporate more air before restacking. Add dry materials into the mix to get a balance of greens and browns, improve drainage and prevent the compost from clogging up again.
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Should I leave the lid off my compost bin?

A cover can limit airflow and water, interfering with the composting process. You should definitely cover finished compost. Otherwise, if it's exposed to the elements, the compost will break down further and lose nutrients as they leach into the surrounding soil.
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Why is my compost pile not heating up?

If the compost pile is not heating up, then the pile is too wet or too dry or there is not enough green material (or nitrogen) present. If too wet, the material should be spread out to dry. If too dry, add moisture to make it “spongy”.
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Can you put wet compost on garden?

How to Dry Out Compost. The ideal mixture should be moist but not wet and have an earthy odor. If it is too wet you should add drier 'brown' material and use a garden fork to mix it up regularly and to make sure it is not too compacted.
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Will compost attract rats?

Compost piles can be home to all kinds of creatures, some good, some bad. They are especially attractive to mice — and rats — in the winter.
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How often do you empty kitchen compost?

Remember - your compost bin is only a receptacle. Empty out your scraps every few days or every week in your outdoor compost pile OR your green waste bin to be collected on garbage day!
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Can you compost rotten tomatoes?

The answer here is, yes. Gardeners can compost tomato plants as long as the plants don't have any bacterial or fungal diseases. Spotted wilt virus and curly top virus will not survive on a dead tomato plant for long, so plants with these viruses can be composted.
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Can you compost rotting vegetables?

In most cases, rotten produce and plant material will be safe in a compost pile. Even diseased material is usually destroyed during active composting. However, it is always better to be safe and protect your garden and yourself from harmful pathogens.
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Can I put dryer lint in my compost?

Can You Compost Dryer Lint? In a nutshell, yes you can. Composting lint from dryers is a simple task, as this brown material is easy to save until you have enough to add to the mix.
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How do I fix my soil that smells like ammonia?

Treating common ammonia odors in the home landscape may be done by the addition of carbon or simply applying liberal amounts of water to leach the soil and a lime treatment to increase the soil pH.
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How do you remove ammonia from compost?

Ammonium is an indicator that there is still energy in the pile and decomposition has not reached what is usually referred to as "maturity". This can be corrected by simply letting the compost sit for a longer period of time, until decomposition has slowed.
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