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 Post subject: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 6:32 pm 
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Just turned my compost pile after these nice rains we have had, but it smells really bad. It is a mixture of old hay, chicken manure, pine shavings, sheep manure, vegetables, and existing compost. I added 40lbs of dried molasses last month and have been turning it every week. Just wondering what I could put in it to make it not smell so bad???


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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:58 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 8:09 pm
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Location: Fort Worth,TEXAS
Why did you put your dry molasses in the compost? Why not put it in the garden?

The extra water may have caused some anaerobic activity. Keep turning it regularly (fluff it up) and add some more green material with some dirt (like don't shake all of the dirt off of the roots of weeds). Getting enough air in there and a fresh source of greens and dirt to kickstart the biological activity and it will be fine.

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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:03 am 
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Thanks for the info. I put the dried molasses in the compost to maybe help feed the biological activity in there. Already put dried molasses on the garden. I will keep adding green material and turning the pile regularly. Once again thank you for your help!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:14 am 
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If you want to put sugars in the compost then make it leftover soft drinks and such. Things you would have otherwise poured down the drain. Every time I open a jar of my canned peaches there is the syrup left and that gets diluted and poured in the garden, but I've also poured it in the compost. If you open cans of anything and it has juice you would pour off, add it to what you'd pour in the compost.

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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:28 pm 
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Location: California, San Joaquin Valley - home of 105* summers, foggy winters.
I agree with Northwesterner. Your bin is too wet, and it needs have dry material added and to be oxygenated by turning.

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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:04 pm 
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Traditional "browns," those materials ultra low in protein, like tree leaves, will absorb the odors from compost. Try to save some out of your pile so you can turn it and cover it in browns after you turn it and get the odors.

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 Post subject: Re: Smelly Compost
PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:20 pm 
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Thanks for all of the advice. Been turning the pile every week and the bad odor is gone. Looking and smelling alot better now. Thanks again for all of your help!!!


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