My neighbor told me my compost pile was too wet and it made a big difference

He pointed out last month that my compost in the backyard was more like a soggy mess and wasn't breaking down right. I started adding more dry leaves and cardboard scraps to balance it, and turned it twice a week. Now it heats up properly and I'm getting good soil for my garden in Portland. Has anyone else found a simple tip that fixed a home climate project?

4 comments

4 Comments

aaron_mitchell13d ago

Got my buddy @price.ben to check out my pile last spring. He said the same thing about shredded paper. I started saving all my junk mail (skipping the glossy stuff) and mixing it in with the wet kitchen scraps. It balanced everything out fast. Now I don't even need to water it during dry spells.

price.ben2mo ago

Same here, adding shredded paper worked wonders.

morgan_king362mo ago

Yeah, @price.ben is right about the shredded paper. It soaks up the extra moisture without making a mess. Just avoid the glossy junk mail.

ward.kim2mo ago

My old apartment's compost bin was a soggy mess until I started mixing in a full cereal box worth of shredded bills each week. The trick is to layer it, like lasagna, so the paper really soaks things up in the middle. I keep a paper grocery bag under the sink to collect shreds all week, it makes it easy. Just plain newsprint or office paper works best, the glossy stuff never seems to break down right.