My first attempt at composting went totally wrong in my tiny backyard

I tried starting a compost bin last spring in my 10x10 backyard in Portland, but I didn't mix the greens and browns right and it turned into a stinky, moldy mess. After three months of fruit flies and smell complaints from my neighbor, I read up on the right ratio and added shredded cardboard. Has anyone else had a compost pile go bad and found a quick fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

susanb341mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I used to think composting was just piling stuff in a corner and forgetting it. That stinky mess convinced me real quick it takes a little more attention than that.

reed.elliot1mo ago

Stinky mess" lol. Is it really that bad though? Ive literally just been throwing kitchen scraps in a pile and turning it every couple weeks and its fine.

amy_anderson1mo ago

Yeah it's funny how most things we think are simple actually need a little know-how. Gardening, cooking, even just keeping house plants alive there's always a learning curve when you actually try to do it right. Kind of makes you wonder how many other things people brush off as easy that are really more about finding the right balance.