If your compost smells like poop, then you are most likely committing one out of a number of possible mistakes such as wet or too-compacted compost. However, this is nothing to worry about.
Continue reading as we list some of the most common reasons why your compost might smell like manure and how to stop this from happening.
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How to Get Rid of the Poop Smell In Your Compost Bin
💥 To get rid of the poop smell in your compost bin, you can try mixing the right proportions of greens and browns, churning the compost, and keeping it dry. Other methods you can try include layering the greens and the browns and getting rid of meats and fat.
Wondering why your potting soil smells like manure after using homemade compost? Or are you worried about that fishy poop smell that will not go away from your pile?
Below are some of our favorite tips to make that stink disappear forever.
– Mix the Right Amount of Greens and Browns
A compost bin should be made up of more browns than green materials. Ideally, you should mix ⅓ greens with ⅔ brown substances, but since compost browns are harder to collect, you can also go with a 50:50 ratio of both materials.
The greens and the browns should be layered one on top of another to create a multilayered material free of a garbage smell.
– What Are the Compost Greens?
The green component of your compost piles is the material that is rich in nitrogen and leads to microbial growth. They should always be in lesser amount in your pile and include the following items:
- Grass clippings
- Leftover fruits and vegetables
- Ground coffee
- Used teabags
- Eggshells
– What Are the Compost Browns?
The brown components are the carbohydrate-rich substances in a compost pile. They should always be in larger amounts as they don’t raise the temperature of the pile nor do they contribute towards the production of smelly products.
Some examples of browns you can use are:
- Pine needles
- Twigs and branches of trees
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Hay or straw
- Leaves that drop in the fall
The brown components of compost are harder to get than the green components. Nonetheless, you should always add more of them if you want to prevent compost bin from smelling like poop.
Start collecting pine needles and fall leaves, and don’t throw away any paper and cardboard. Instead, save these items for your compost.
– Continuously Churn the Compost
If your compost smells like garbage, then maybe you are not churning it enough. Instead of just piling new materials on top of the old compost bin, you should properly mix these things in with each other. You can use a rake or a shovel to do this.
In fact, make it a habit to routinely turn over the whole pile at least once every week or two. This will not only mix the materials properly with each other, but will also introduce some much-needed oxygen into the bin. Oxygen is needed by the microorganisms in the pile to carry out their composting activity.
– Keep the Compost From Staying Wet
A wet and moist compost will most definitely smell pretty bad. If you notice that your compost has developed a slimy texture and smells putrid like rotten eggs, then it needs to be dried before it is too late.
Here is how you can deal with the smell caused by wet compost.
- First of all, keep your compost pile in a dry location. If it is placed somewhere where water collects easily, then you should move it to a drier place.
- Cover the pile of compost under a piece of tarp or a plastic sheet during the rainy season.
- Don’t put your compost pile on top of a plastic sheet or tarp. Always keep it over the ground so that the excess water will be able to drain away into the soil from the pile.
- If your compost pile is already wet, then you should add more brown materials to it. They will absorb the excess moisture. Also, remember to regularly turn your compost pile to introduce oxygen to it. Oxygen is essential for microbial activity as well as for the aeration and ventilation of your pile.
– Get Rid of Meats and Fats
Never add stuff like meat, eggs or fats into your compost bin. This is one of the most common reasons why most people struggle with stinky compost. While it is tempting to simply add these old, leftover food items into the compost instead of putting them in the garbage can, we’ll be giving you a couple of reasons why this is a bad idea.
Food items like dairy, meat and fats don’t break down the same way as fruits and vegetables. These items mostly tend to rot, producing a most unpleasant smell.
Their rotting smell also attracts rodents, raccoons and other unwanted animals to come and scavenge around your garden, creating additional problems. Meat products also tend to spread diseases and should always be incinerated or disposed of properly.
– Layer the Greens and the Browns
Always layer the green and the browns while making compost at home. This will ensure not only a respectable proportion of both but also help in the composting process.
– Don’t Let It Dry Out
Sometimes, using compost that is too dry can also be a problem. Without any kind of moisture at all, the composting process slows down and is replaced by the rotting of the organic content instead. A foul smell will then start emanating from the pile.
A very dry compost can simply be dampened by watering it moderately. Make sure that the pile has adequate drainage and will not retain this water.
Composting: What It Should Smell Like
A properly mixed and balanced compost has a very fresh, earthy scent attached to it. As it breaks down under bacterial activity, it should smell like healthy garden soil.
Making your own compost at home is a very satisfying and healthy activity. You get to recycle a lot of organic matter that would otherwise simply go to waste. You also get to add nutrients to your soil and plants organically and save money on store-bought items.
However, one of the biggest issues people face while making their own compost is when it starts to smell like poop, garbage or rotten food. We’ve discussed ways to get rid of the bad smell from your compost, now let’s find out why this happens in the first place.
Why Does Compost Smell Like Poop?
Unequal amounts of greens and browns, wet compost, or compost that is too compacted are some reasons why a compost bin will smell like poop or rotten food.
Making a pile of compost at home seems pretty easy and straightforward, but there is more to the process than simply adding any organic waste that comes your way. Many times people find their compost stinks because they are not adding the right things or adding them the right way.
In this section, we’ll learn all about the composting mistakes you might be making and why they are making your bin stink.
– Unequal Amounts of Greens and Browns
Compost is usually made up of both green and brown decaying materials. Ideally, there should be more browns than greens in compost. Otherwise, it will start to stink and produce a very unpleasant smell.
The reason why this happens is that compost greens (grass clippings, leftover fruits and vegetables, etc) can be collected easily and in larger amounts than compost browns ( pine needles, straw and leaves).
The greens are rich in nitrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds. Their breakdown releases ammonia, which causes your smelly compost problem.
– The Compost Is Wet
A compost that stays wet or moist for prolonged periods of time also starts smelling like poop. You are most likely to experience this problem during the spring and fall seasons.
Too much moisture in the compost decreases its aeration, which slows down all microbial activity. Consequently, the process of decomposition stops and is instead replaced by actual rotting. Your compost then starts producing a foul smell.
If your compost smells like manure and is also slimy in texture, then it needs to be dried. In addition, the risk for fungal attacks also increases.
– The Compost Is Too Compacted
If your compost smells like garbage, then maybe it is too compacted and not being aerated enough.
A very tightly packed compost does not have adequate oxygen in it. This results in the halting of all microbial activity in the pile and causes the compost to produce hydrogen sulfide. Your compost will begin to reek of a characteristic rotten egg smell.
Compacting happens when you keep piling new composting materials on top of the old one without properly mixing the whole thing.
Is It Safe To Use Compost That Smells Like Poop?
It is not recommended to use pungent or foul-smelling compost for plants that are meant for human consumption. It simply won’t add much in the way of adding nutrients to your soil.
While compost is supposed to smell earthy, it shouldn’t smell like poop, rotten eggs or putrid garbage. This means that there is more rotting material in the pile than compost.
If your compost is slimy, stinky and seems to be turning black, then it would be best not to use it for your plants. Such compost is most likely infected by a fungus and will do more harm than good.