Do Compost Bins Smell? Stop Your Stinky Compost Problem Now Jenny Graham, January 11, 2024January 10, 2024 Have you been wanting to make homemade compost but ae wondering, do compost bins smell? Let’s take a closer look at the stinky compost problem. Why Do Compost Bins Smell Bad? If you build a compost heap correctly you shouldn’t have to ask, do compost bins smell bad? Your composting bin will smell bad when the ratio of necessary ingredients is off. Furthermore, compost bins smell bad if organic materials such as meat or dairy have been added. How to Fix A Smelly Backyard Compost Pile Fixing a stinky compost problem is usually pretty simple. You just need to figure out what went wrong in building your compost heap. There are 6 basic things that could go wrong. making your compost smell. Have You Added Too Much Moisture? Did You Add Too Many Brown Materials? Too Many Kitchen Scraps or Green Materials? Did You Add Animal Products, Meats, Fats, or Dairy Products? Is Your Compost Heap Lacking Oxygen? Are You Lacking Beneficial Bacteria? Do Compost Bins Smell? Let’s Figure Out The Problem Now that you know the 6 different things that can cause a stinky compost problem. Let’s dig into each cause so you can be on your way to fixing that bad smell. Does Your Compost Bin Have Too Much Moisture? While all compost piles need moisture, too much moisture is a stinky mess and a common problem. Excess moisture fills up all the pore spaces, in place of oxygen being there, depleting the oxygen level. This creates an anaerobic environment where beneficial bacteria cannot survive. When building a compost pile, you’ll want to water each green and brown layer as you put it in. Add enough water to moisten the layers, without soaking them. If you are seeing water run off your pile you may have added too much moisture. Drying Out Your Compost With Brown Materials If excess moisture is the problem, adding brown materials is the answer. Brown materials you can add are things like dry leaves, brown leaves, wood chips, cardboard, brown paper bags, sawdust, or even paper plates. Adding these brown materials to combat excess moisture will get you back on your way to having a healthy compost pile. Turning your compost pile on a regular basis is also a great way to dry out a wet pile. Did You Add Too Many Brown Materials? While adding too many brown materials won’t necessarily cause your pile to smell, it will cause your backyard compost pile to stay woody and dry. A compost heap full of brown materials doesn’t have enough moisture or nitrogen for the decomposition process to occur in any reasonable amount of time. Collecting food scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, or chicken manure and layering it into the pile will make it a hot pile in no time so the decomposition process can occur. Did You Add Too Many Greens or Kitchen Scraps? Having too much nitrogen in your backyard compost pile can create a couple of different problems. First off, the pile can become too hot and kill off the beneficial bacteria. The pile will also have an excess of ammonia. Some people have also reported that piles can become so hot that they catch fire, although none of my hot piles have come close, as they enough moisture. Areas of excess nitrogen, such as grass clippings that are in too thick of a layer, can become a stinky, slimy, anaerobic mess that needs to be broken up with brown materials. Compost Bins Smell When You Add Meats, Fats, or Dairy Products Adding meats, fats, or dairy products will definitely make your compost bins smell. While some people recommend against composting these types of materials, they actually can be composted. They will attract more critters to your pile and can create harmful bacteria in your pile as they are going through the decomposition process. The risk of harmful bacteria and the rancid smells are main reasons why most people stay away from composting meats, fats, and dairy products. If these types of organic materials are in your compost pile, completely burying them in the center of the composting bin may help keep the odor down as they decompose. Lack of Oxygen in the Compost Heap Oxygen is one of the main components needed for aerobic composting. When you do not have enough oxygen in your pile, it becomes anaerobic. This may lead to your compost bins to have foul odors or smell like rotten eggs. When compost is without enough oxygen, anaerobic bacteria takes over and produces methane gas and hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs. You could have a lack of oxygen for a couple of reasons. Is it too wet? If so, add dry material. Or, are you lacking oxygen because your nitrogen sources is matted together? If so, breaking your pile up by turning your compost may help. Turning compost frequently is a great way to ensure your pile has enough oxygen. Compost Bins Smell With A Lack of Beneficial Bacteria If you are still asking yourself, why do compost bins smell, your compost pile may be lacking beneficial bacteria. A compost pile will lack beneficial bacteria if anaerobic bacteria has taken over. This could mean it’s too wet. Turning your compost heap on a regular basis provides oxygen to beneficial bacteria, helping them multiply and thrive. Another method of ensuring you have beneficial bacteria in your compost pile is to use a little bit of finished compost within your pile. When starting a new pile, your first and last layer should be finished compost. Tips for A Healthy Compost Pile For a healthy compost pile, there are several things you need to keep in mind. Compost is actually a living thing with all that bacteria in there. All living things need the basics to survive: Food, water, and oxygen. Adding the Right Ratio of Organic Materials The correct ratios of organic materials is vital for a healthy compost pile. You can think of this as a food source for beneficial bacteria to breakdown. A general rule of thumb is 2-3 brown or carbon rich material to 1 green or nitrogen rich material. This is a little flexible because some nitrogen and carbon rich materials will be stronger than others. For example, chicken manure will have more nitrogen than coffee grounds, just as wood mulch will have more carbon than brown paper bags. If you stick with the general rule of thumb of 2-3 browns to 1 green you will be making great compost. So, for every 1 bucket of green, add 2 or 3 of the same size bucket of brown to the composting bin. Come along and learn to make a healthy compost pile with me. Be Sure To Have Enough Moisture in Your Compost Heap Water is essential to that beneficial bacteria. The organic materials in your compost pile must be moist in order for the microbes to break it down efficiently. Just be careful not to add too much water, as it will take the place of the next essential component of a compost pile, oxygen. Be sure to Provide Oxygen to Your Compost Heap Oxygen is also an essential part of a healthy compost pile. Having a sufficient amount of brown materials ensures there is enough pore space within your compost pile. Turning your compost pile is also a great way to get oxygen into your pile on a regular basis. Oxygen will help encourage the decomposition process. Shred Compost Materials To Speed the Decomposition Process The decomposition process is the breaking down of organic materials and can take a long time. You can give your brown materials, food waste, and other organic matter a head start by shredding them up before adding them to the composting bin. This will speed up the process, giving you finished compost faster. Backyard Compost Pile Won’t Heat Up While you can have a cold compost pile, hot composting breaks down so much faster and also helps to kill off grass, weed seeds, and harmful bacteria. For a hot pile, be sure you have enough moisture and a couple good layers of nitrogen rich material, like chicken manure, within your composting bin. The Size of Your Compost Pile Matters In order for compost pile to heat up, you need a compost pile that is roughly 3ft x 3ft x 3ft. The correct ratio of organic materials is also important. Remember, 2-3 browns to 1 green. The Different Methods For Odor-Free Compost When it comes to the different methods of composting, there are some methods that tend to contain the smells that can sometimes happen with compost. For an in-depth look at these methods, you can read this post about the different types of compost. Trench Composting Vermicomposting with a Worm Bin Indoor Composting With A Bokashi Bin Digesters Compost Tumbler Do Compost Bins Smell? All of Them? No. If a compost pile is put together with the right balance of organic materials, the composting bin should not smell. A healthy compost pile can smell a little musty but should not smell rancid or rotten. Why Control the Smell of My Compost Bin? If your compost bins smell, there’s a problem that needs to be balanced out. Having the right balance of organic materials encourages the decomposition process, giving you a healthy compost pile. Having a healthy compost pile will give you finished compost, also known as black gold, faster. Why Does My Compost Smell? Compost can smell for several reasons. There could be too much moisture, too much nitrogen, or not enough oxygen. Certain organic materials like meat or dairy will also create a stinky compost problem. Why Does My Compost Bins Smell Like Ammonia? If you are noticing a strong ammonia smell coming from your composting bin, you have too much nitrogen, or green materials, in your compost heap. To get the right balance, add more brown materials while turning your compost pile. Why Does My Compost Smell Like Rotten Eggs? That rotten egg smell coming from your compost is the smell of hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by anaerobic bacteria. Your compost pile needs more oxygen. You may want to consider turning your compost pile or even adding more brown materials. How Can I Keep Compost in My Kitchen Without It Smelling? Food waste and kitchen scraps are often smelly in a countertop bin. A great way to keep them in the house and keep the smell down is with an odor-free compost bin or bokashi bin. Adding brown materials on top of your food scraps in your kitchen compost bin will also help absorb some of the smells. Another great idea is to keep a bag in your kitchen freezer for kitchen waste. When the bag is full you can add it to your outdoor bin for a bulk of material at once. What Should Compost Smell Like? If you have a healthy compost pile, you shouldn’t be asking, do compost bins smell? A healthy compost pile can often smell slightly musty but not rancid or rotten. Whereas finished compost will have an earthy, almost sweet smell. Can You Use Smelly Compost? Using smelly compost is risky and is not a good idea, as it’s not completely broken down or finished. You run the risk of burning your plants or using compost that has harmful bacteria in it. Are Compost Fumes Toxic? Yes, compost fumes can be toxic. A compost pile that is out of balance can create carbon dioxide, ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon disulfide. Breathing these in can all be considered a health hazard. Do Compost Bins Smell & Attract Pests or Rodents? Yes, compost bin smell can attract pests and rodents. Building a healthy compost pile with the right balance will help keep critters at bay. Furthermore, covering your compost pile and having it in a compost bin also helps. Benefits of Homemade Compost The benefits of homemade compost are worth the effort of having a compost pile. Homemade compost has rightfully earned the name, black gold. It is full of essential nutrients. Adding it to your soil reduces soil erosion, conserves water, promotes plant growth, improves soil health and it reduces waste. So, Do Compost Bins Smell? Why yes, compost bins can smell. As you can see though, it’s a problem that can be easily fixed. Happy Homesteading & Composting, Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm Jenny and her family have been homesteading for over 20 years. They are currently farming on their 10 acre Florida farm, that they built from the ground up, 8 years ago, growing 100% of their meat and a lot of their vegetables. From their small herd of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, Pastured Poultry, Sheep, and seasonal pigs, they are able to raise enough meat for the family while selling extra to the community. All the while, striving to butcher at home, as much as possible, and use the bits and pieces of their harvest by preserving food, making bone broth, and (Jenny’s favorite) tanning all kinds of hides! Sources: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/blog-CompostSafetyKnowYourConfinedSpaces https://compost.css.cornell.edu/Factsheets/FS4.html https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/CompostBenefits Composting Homesteading