How to Avoid Smells from a Compost Pile

Composting can be a great way to help you have a beautiful looking garden. it’s a proven fact that a compost can help your garden produce very large vegetables with only a minimal amount of extra care. When you compost you’re not only helping yourself build a great garden, but you’re also helping the environment, as composting can reduce the volume of products that go into your local landfill. There can be a few problems with composting, and one of them is dealing with a smelly composting pile.

Normal

If you have never had a compost pile before, you may not know what to  expect. Some people actually believe that compost piles are supposed to stink. There is a smell that comes from compost piles, but it’s not a nasty one. Usually the smell that comes from a compost pile is actually an earthy one. It should smell a bit like dirt, with a light musky undertone. The musky part comes from the water, which is necessary to have in the compost pile in order to get the lovely little enzymes to start doing their job. But you definitely shouldn’t have to deal with a stinky smell.

To Avoid It

There are a few things that you can do to avoid having an unpleasant smell coming from your compost pile. First of all, never put anything in a compost pile that really shouldn’t be there. This includes things like meats, sugary substances, and dairy products. While you can put some kitchen substances in, such as leftover vegetables the children didn’t eat, the peels from oranges or bananas, coffee grounds, or egg shells, you should never put meat or dairy into the pile. These things will make your compost pile become very unpleasant, very quickly.

It’s also important to learn about the ratio that your pile should have between green and brown components. Greens are things like grass cuttings and cuttings that you’ve taken from living plants in your home or from your lawn. Browns are, of course, dead greens, like dead leaves or dead parts of plants that you have pruned back. If you add too many greens, the compost pile can start smelling very quickly. A good idea is to keep a three to one ratio. Add three scoops of brown cuttings for each scoop of green. Following these rules should help to keep your compost pile from smelling.

Once it Starts Smelling

But what can you do if your compost pile already smells? The first thing is to try to do some damage control. Get in there and aerate your compost pile. The problem could be that you haven’t turned the pile in awhile, which can cause an odor due to lack of oxygen. The micro organisms need oxygen to do their job, and without it they can definitely let off unpleasant aromas. If you find that the smell from the pile doesn’t lessen, there are still a few more things that you can do to help get cut down on the smell.

First, add some more brown cuttings. The brown actually absorbs the smell and any excessive moisture. If having too much moisture in your pile is a problem, then definitely add some brown. If you find that you don’t have any more dead leaves or bushes, ask friends and family members if they do. This way they’ll get their leaves picked up and you’ll be able to get rid of the smell that you’ve got emanating from your compost pile.

One trick that some people use, if they have piles that are emitting a strong odor because they’ve  either been unable to get out there to turn the piles, or were forgetful about doing so, is to actually put pipes inside the pile. PVC pipes that have holes every few inches can actually help to bring air to the pile. One end of the pipe should be outside of the pile, while the other end of the PVC pipe with holes should be deep inside of your compost pile. These air channels will help to aerate the compost pile fairly decently.

If you definitely don’t want to have to worry about a smell, you may want to look into one of the many composting systems that you can purchase. These systems are actually fairly affordable and can be found in many sizes. Some people even have small composting bins that they’re able to keep directly inside their home. If you are worried about the possibility of having a smell from your compost pile, getting a special bin for the composting might be the best way to help you to avoid the smell, so that you can still reap the benefits of composting without the potential odor fallout.