Contrary to popular belief, compost piles aren’t supposed to smell bad, and a well-kept compost heap should smell just a little earthy. However, compost can start to smell like rotten eggs, ammonia, ...

Turning compost piles provides more air to beneficial microbes, helping to speed up the composting process and creating enough heat to kill weed seeds, pests, and pathogens. Aim to turn a hot compost ...

A compost chimney is a simple addition to any pile that can speed up the composting process and eliminate slow or smelly ...

Piles work most quickly if the two important foodstuffs %u2014 carbon and nitrogen %u2014 are in balance. Another frequent cause of a sluggish compost pile is insufficient moisture. Odors can result ...

It takes time to make compost. Organic matter requires about two to three months to break down in hot compost piles, and up to a year or more in cold composting systems. But if you add a compost ...

The do’s and don’ts of maintaining a healthy compost pile and building a better garden compost bin. This planet has been making dirt for a long time: decomposing carbon-based organic matter through a ...

We have a saying at our house: "The compost pile is just another mouth to feed." After all, our garden thrives on compost, and thus we thrive on it, too. That pile is an energy center, like a furnace, ...