Or, for simplicity, you can figure on shooting for an optimum 30/1 ratio. A mixture of carbon-based and nitrogen-rich compost materials, kept moist and turned frequently, will usually break down in six months to two years. The carbon to nitrogen ratio in the compost pile should be 30:1, not the ratio of browns to greens. What’s that mean? The C/N ratio needs to … A good C/N ratio for a compost pile is between 20/1 and 35/1. The second composting recipe could be correct, but it is probably not. The ingredients you add to a compost heap contain carbon and nitrogen. Get the Feel of Your Pile. The laboratory employs testing procedures from the U.S. Compost Council's Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Composts. If the ratio is too low, the pile can produce a displeasing smell as excess nitrogen escapes into the atmosphere in the form of ammonia. If you need to bring a physical sample for identification, there is a place in the lobby of the Inyo County Services Building at 207 W South Street in Bishop, next to the thrift store. This is commonly referred to as the C/N ratio. High-carbon and high-nitrogen materials should be mixed to achieve a C:N ratio of roughly 30:1 (Table 3–2). Part of the series: How to Compost : Learn Organic Garden Composting Online. “Ideally, your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens and alternate layers of organic materials of different-size particles.” It’s really that simple. 21.5/0.62= 34.7 parts of carbon to 1 part of nitrogen is the cumulative C: N ratio of your compost recipe. Correct Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio for Compost. Carbon and nitrogen are the most important of the many elements required for microbial decomposition of organic matter to produce compost. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen determines whether we label it a ‘green’ or a ‘brown’. To calculate the C:N ratio in a composting recipe, each raw feedstock’s percent carbon #5 – Achieve the C: N ratio between 25 and 35 to make the most of it Your pile will thoroughly decompose if you find the total C: N ratio between 25 and 35. (MAP.) Desired Composting C:N. The ideal C:N for composting is approximately 25-30:1. Sawdust: Because sawdust has an extremely high carbon to nitrogen ratio, use it sparingly in the compost pile. Suppose another specimen has 35 percent carbon and 5 percent nitrogen. Sandwich an ultra-thin layer (no more than an inch) between moist grass clippings, or mix handfuls thoroughly with lots of other ingredients. The usual recommended range for C/N ratios at the start of the composting process is about 30/1, but this ideal may vary depending on the bioavailability of the carbon and nitrogen. The carbon-nitrogen ratio of this material is then 20 to 1, which means 20 times as much carbon as nitrogen. If they do, you can go and make your compost pile! It’s so crucial that most instructions about how to build compost piles have as much to do with getting this ratio right as with anything else. Mix these in a ratio of 2:1, green to brown, for a well-balanced compost pile. Micro-organisms, like all other organic compounds have a specific carbon nitrogen ratio. • UC studies show that C:N ratios of 30-35 were optimum • Composting time increased with higher C:N ratios • If unavailable C is small, the C:N ratio can be reduced by bacteria to 10 • Composting material with a higher C:N ratio would not be harmful to the soil,because the remaining carbon is … The proportion of carbon (brown materials) to nitrogen (green materials) is especially important. Every article, book and website about how to compost contains the information that a carbon/nitrogen ratioof approximately 25:1 or 30:1 is optimal for compost piles. Like so many things, this ratio is a bit of an oversimplification. 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