The Rev. Dana
Prom Smith, S.T.D., Ph.D. (1/17/2015))
Question. Dear Answer Man, my name
is Conrad Kittredge. We, my wife Consuelo
and I, have just moved here from New
York City Scottsdale Flagstaff Times
Square on New Year’s Eve.
However, they have compost piles on their property. I would like to know why their compost stinks. I don’t mean an unpleasant odor but a really foul
stink. When the wind is right, we’re
back in a polluted environment. It’s
enough to make a grown man cry.
Answer. Well, the answer is that compost
doesn’t have to stink. As a matter of
fact, a well-functioning compost bin emits a warm, fairly pleasant earthy odor
that’s somewhat sweet. You must be
talking about rot or purification. From
what you say, I suspect that your trendy neighbors are novices at
composting. Sometimes, techies are
disconnected from the nitty-gritty of life.
They probably throw everything into the compost pile, and that may be
one reason their compost stinks. Meat,
fat, bones, oil, any animal byproducts will make a compost pile putrid.
Generally, there are two types of stinking compost piles. One has the smell of ammonia and the other
the smell of rotting flesh. The
ammonicial pile probably is too wet and not aerated, like turned with a
pitchfork. Also, it may have too much
nitrogen material. A thriving compost
pile needs oxygen for the decomposing process.
The smell of rotting flesh, one of the most unpleasant of odors, is
because there is some rotting flesh or byproducts of flesh in the pile, such as
meat and fish scraps and animal or fish oil.
Rot stinks.
Question: That’s all well and
good, but what do you suggest I do?
Answer: Well, you can talk to
them. If that fails, you can have them
cited as a public nuisance. Trendy,
organic people tend to be quite pleasant if a little self-righteous,
holier-than-thou. The techies are often
a little contemptuous of all us mortals, but when they don’t know something,
they’re likely to ask. Sustainability is
the new gospel, as it should be; however, sometimes, the sustainers are a
little much.
Question: Well, I did as you
suggested. I talked to them, and it
turns out that they were as offended as was I by their compost piles and a
little mystified about the odor. I
offered to help them, taking your suggestions about animal byproducts and
aeration. It turns out that they didn’t
have a pitchfork and neither did I, so I bought one along with a shovel.
As the CFO of a large advertising firm in New York
Well, we got rid of the rot, and now the pile seems to be coming along
quite well. It’s even generating some
heat. I think I might try a pile myself.
Answer: It’s called “cookin.” Decomposition generates heat. Now, if you’re serious, you need both carbon
and nitrogen for a good compost pile in a three to one ratio. You might even try a bin. They’re easier to manage. Carbon material includes straw, leaves, horse
bedding, spoiled hay, manure, and beer mash.
Nitrogen includes freshly mown grass, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds,
and tea leaves.
Mix them in that three to one ratio, turn it with a pitchfork every week
or so, keep it damp but not wet, and watch refuse turn to gold with a little
alchemy in your backyard. You might even
try some flowers and vegetables so that you can put that compost to good
use. It’ll sure be good for your
health. Kale, green beans, and
sunflowers are good starters.
Copyright © Dana Prom Smith 2015
Dana Prom Smith and Freddi Steele
edit Gardening Etcetera for the Arizona
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