Two ingredients, roughly balanced
Think browns and greens. Browns are dry carbon: leaves, straw, cardboard, wood chips. Greens are wet nitrogen: food scraps, coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings.
Aim for noticeably more brown volume than green. When in doubt, add browns. That single habit prevents nearly every odor problem.
Air and moisture
A healthy pile feels like a wrung-out sponge. Sour or ammonia smells mean it has gone anaerobic, so turn it and mix in dry material.
Turning every week or two speeds things up. An untouched pile still composts, just slowly.
What to leave out
Keep meat, dairy, oils, and pet waste out of a home pile. They attract animals and create odors that no amount of turning fixes.
Bury fresh food scraps in the center of the pile and cover with browns so nothing is exposed on the surface.
Take these away
- More browns than greens, always.
- Wrung-out sponge is the target moisture.
- Bad smell means turn it and add dry material.
- No meat, dairy, oils, or pet waste.