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Critique from a local gardener changed my whole compost setup
A woman at the community garden told me my compost pile was too wet and smelly because I was adding too many kitchen scraps without enough brown material. She said I needed a 3:1 ratio of browns to greens, so now I save dried leaves and cardboard shreds to mix in every time. I also started turning the pile weekly with a pitchfork instead of letting it sit, and the smell disappeared within two weeks. It's been about 3 months and I'm finally getting rich, dark compost instead of slimy goo. Has anyone else gotten tough feedback that actually improved their garden game?
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amy_anderson26d ago
That feedback about ratios is the kind of thing that seems obvious once you hear it but nobody tells you upfront. The real game changer for me was learning that compost isn't just about what you add, it's about when you stop adding. Most people keep piling on fresh scraps forever and wonder why it never finishes. At some point you gotta let the pile cook without any new stuff for a few weeks. That waiting period lets the breakdown finish properly instead of constantly resetting the clock. It took a neighbor bluntly telling me my pile was a neverending buffet of half-rotten garbage for me to finally get it.
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betty_kelly925d ago
Huh, never thought of it that way. You're right though.
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michael66925d ago
That "neverending buffet" line hits hard because it's true. Turning the pile and letting it rest for a few weeks is something I still forget to do, to be honest. @betty_kelly9 probably already knows this but the 3:1 ratio really is the golden rule for keeping things simple.
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