Please remember not to use mains water as it contains chlorine which kills microbes.
Dilute 1 Litre of Actiferm in 10 Litres of water.
Sprinkle over the compost heap to eliminate odour and speed up composting.
Cover the top of compost with a blanket or carpet.
Then every 4 weeks do the same process when you turn it. Do these 3 to 4 times.
Then turn it when you can. The more you turn it, the more oxygen you can add and the quicker the process. But this could take up to 12 months because of the carbon content.
All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C) combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N). The balance of these two elements in an organism is called the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are compost scientists) have determined that the fastest way to produce fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or 25-30:1. If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. If the C:N ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile.
Below are the average C:N ratios for some common organic materials found in the compost bin. For our purposes, the materials containing high amounts of carbon are considered “browns,” and materials containing high amounts of nitrogen are considered “greens.”
Estimated Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios Browns = High CarbonC:N Ashes, wood25:1 Cardboard, shredded350:1 Corn stalks75:1 Fruit waste35:1 Leaves60:1 Newspaper, shredded175:1 Peanut shells35:1 Pine needles80:1 Sawdust325:1 Straw75:1 Wood chips400:1 Greens = High NitrogenC:N Alfalfa12:1 Clover23:1 Coffee grounds20:1 Food waste20:1 Garden waste30:1 Grass clippings20:1 Hay25:1 Manures15:1 Seaweed19:1 Vegetable scraps25:1 Weeds30:1