My compost bin stinks

**Flummery** · 06-04-2009, 02:57 PM

I wouldn't mind betting it's the cat poo. Bit late now but I'd avoid it (or the dog equivalent) in the future. Have a scrape up before you mow.

**IgglePiggle** · 06-04-2009, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by Flummery View Post

I wouldn't mind betting it's the cat poo. Bit late now but I'd avoid it (or the dog equivalent) in the future. Have a scrape up before you mow.

Will it go? Or am I stuck with it

**Flummery** · 06-04-2009, 03:51 PM

I would imagine that it will go eventually, when the 'product' has completely broken down. But I wouldn't aim on using the compost very soon!

**IgglePiggle** · 06-04-2009, 04:00 PM

Originally posted by Flummery View Post

I would imagine that it will go eventually, when the 'product' has completely broken down. But I wouldn't aim on using the compost very soon!

Its just for putting on flower beds anyway, mainly the heavy clay out the front!

Thanks for the help!

**Florence Fennel** · 06-04-2009, 06:54 PM

Originally posted by IgglePiggle View Post

Its just for putting on flower beds anyway, mainly the heavy clay out the front!

Thanks for the help!

Hi - my compost occasionally smells a bit on the foul side, but it's when I've put too much wet stuff in. I usually put on a layer of egg box material and cut up loo roll tubes or shredded paper and it sweetens it. I once put too many grass clippings in and it turned to slime as well as stinking!

**Two_Sheds** · 06-04-2009, 07:01 PM

Mine stank as well - we inherited them with the house, and they'd only ever put grass clippings in them. Gross, and slimy.

I have mixed them up with lots of shredded newspaper, crumpled newspaper, and whole egg boxes to create air pockets.

**Florence Fennel** · 06-04-2009, 07:05 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

Mine stank as well - we inherited them with the house, and they'd only ever put grass clippings in them. Gross, and slimy.

I have mixed them up with lots of shredded newspaper, crumpled newspaper, and whole egg boxes to create air pockets.

We paid a young, out of work lad to cut our very large area of grass while we were at work. When I came home, he had put the whole load in the compost bin, so I wasn't Polly Popular with him when I made him take the whole lot out and bag it up to be taken for composting by the council. I wasn't going through that smell again!

**Two_Sheds** · 06-04-2009, 07:07 PM

should've mulched your spuds with 'em !

**Florence Fennel** · 06-04-2009, 07:12 PM

I never thought of that, but my spuds are grown in compost sacks - could I still use grass clippings as a layer in that?

**Two_Sheds** · 06-04-2009, 07:15 PM

you could ... not too much (or it will get really really hot)

**IgglePiggle** · 06-04-2009, 07:16 PM

Think that's where I've gone wrong maybe, as I haven't put alot of paper/card in there! Don't read a newspaper, so its only the junk mail that really goes in and the boxes from xmas presents! Will add loads of paper next week when I turn it, if the weather ever gets better again

**Two_Sheds** · 06-04-2009, 07:18 PM

Iggle, your compost needs to be roughly 50/50 mix of greens and browns.

**Florence Fennel** · 06-04-2009, 07:19 PM

Originally posted by IgglePiggle View Post

Think that's where I've gone wrong maybe, as I haven't put alot of paper/card in there! Don't read a newspaper, so its only the junk mail that really goes in and the boxes from xmas presents! Will add loads of paper next week when I turn it, if the weather ever gets better again

All my torn up confidential waste goes in the compost, more secure than a shredder I reckon!

**Florence Fennel** · 06-04-2009, 07:24 PM

I've stopped putting rotten tomatoes in the compost. I dug a bean trench last year and filled it with my own half rotted compost and thousands of tomato plants surfaced with the beans. I did let one or two mature and got tomatoes off them, though the plants were a bit stunted! Thanks for the advice about the grass clippings.

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