Making compost is just like baking a cake but sometimes you get the ingredients wrong and it just doesn’t work out. Luckily, it can be fixed!
Question:
Why is the compost so slow to break down?
Compost needs to be warm for the microbes inside to start breaking everything down so if it’s winter or the pile isn’t big enough, the materials won’t change. Make the pile bigger by adding in more leaves, grass clippings and paper and put some canvas over the top to keep the rain out.
Question:
Why is the compost so smelly?
The compost is probably too wet and there might not be enough air through the mix. Add more brown ingredients such as shredded paper or dry leaves and this will help dry it out a little and mix everything up to help the air get in.
Question:
What if the compost is very dry?
The compost needs to be a little bit damp for the microbes and bacteria to do their job so mix in more green ingredients such as leaves and grass clippings and water the pile a little bit every now and then.
Question:
How can I stop the compost pile from attracting pets such as flies, mice and rats?
Check that no one is putting meat or dairy products into the pile as these will attract pests. Mix the heap up more often and cover it very well with a plastic sheet, old piece of carpet or hessian to keep the pests out.