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14
THE CARBON/NITROGEN
RATIO – How to Get it Right
Achieving a proper C/N ratio may sound difficult, but it is really a
lot simpler than it first looks. The important thing is to have a good
idea of the carbon and nitrogen content of the materials you are
working with.
That knowledge, combined with a bit of simple math, will enable you to easily
determine how to mix the material in the right amounts. All organic material will
eventually rot, but using the ComposTumbler and having a proper C/N ratio will
allow you to make compost in much less time than those backbreaking heaps.
And the more you use your ComposTumbler, the more comfortable you will feel
with it. In no time you will know the proper mixtures almost by instinct.
The table at the right gives you the Carbon and Nitrogen Values of a variety of
organic materials you might use in your compost, things that you probably have
easy access to. “Value” simply means how many grams of each substance are
found in 100 grams of the material.
These values are all averages for the type of material listed, not exact figures.
For example, different varieties of grass vary in nitrogen content – the figure
listed is just an estimate of a typical variety. But these figures should be enough
to get you started on creating your own compost mixtures, and remember, as
you monitor your load daily, you will be able to make adjustments.
12 parts
Fresh Grass Clippings
Carbon 72
Nitrogen 4.80
= 34.5 C/N Ratio
3 parts
Sawdust
Carbon 102
Nitrogen 0.24
NOT A MATHEMATICIAN?
Not everyone wants to figure out
their own C/N ratio–that is why we
have included some sample recipes
in this booklet, and that is why we
keep telling you about the standard
4:1 ratio. Using four parts of fresh
green materials to every one part
of dead brown material is a great
recipe for most vegetation. That
is what we compost with in our
demonstration yard. Sometimes
Using four parts of fresh
green material to every one
part of dead brown
material is a great recipe
for most vegetation.
we add a bucket or several shovels
of fresh horse manure to boost the
load, sometimes we add activator,
and sometimes we do not need
to add anything at all. So, unless
you want to compost with mostly
animal manure, human hair or one
of the infamous “meals” (blood,
bone, alfalfa, and cottonseed), you
can probably start with a 4:1 ratio
of fresh to dead materials and make
great compost!
Whatever you do, don’t panic.
This C/N formula information is
for those folks who like to figure
everything out for themselves.