School Composting: Recipe Development

Error message

  • Deprecated function: The each() function is deprecated. This message will be suppressed on further calls in _menu_load_objects() (line 579 of /var/www/highfieldscomposting.org/includes/menu.inc).
  • Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /var/www/highfieldscomposting.org/includes/common.inc).

Managing Your Bins

Step 2.  Recipe development

For best results, you'll need the right mix of materials One of the most important factors in yielding a high quality product from the composting process is getting the right mix of materials. Research has shown that the best compost is made when the blended materials have a combined Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of between 26:1 and 30:1, a moisture content between 50% and 60%, and a bulk density below 1000 pounds per cubic yard. For this reason it is helpful to consider your feedstocks as falling into these two broad categories and one sub category:

  • Nitrogen-rich: food scraps, milk, juices, waste cooking oils, etc.
  • Carbon-rich: leaves, sawdust, saw chip, wood shavings, straw, hay, or bark, and bedded manures, etc.
  • Carbon-rich bulky material: often Carbon-rich materials such as wood chips, straw, shredded wood/bark.

Depending on the materials you have available, a compost recipe can be established by blending your nitrogen-rich food scraps with a carbon-rich mix of feedstocks. Bulky materials like woodchips are used to maintain porosity in the compost pile in order to allow oxygen to move passively throughout the pile. When adding food scraps to the pile, carbon materials are used to blend with and to cover food scraps in the carbon to nitrogen ratio outlined above.

RESOURCE: Download and print this Compost Recipes document

NOTE: There is some wiggle room in regards to building a compost recipe, however, changes should only be made after a strong understanding of compost ecology has been developed.

NEXT: CHARGING THE PILE »