Compost Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios

All organic matter is made up of a large amount of carbon (C) combined with smaller amounts of nitrogen (N). This balance in an organism is called the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio).  Compost scientists have determined that the fastest way to produce good quality 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 (too much carbon), the decomposition slows right down. If the C:N ratio is too low (too much nitrogen) you will end up with a very smelly compost pile.

In this table we have the average C:N ratios for the most commonly found organic materials. We consider high carbon content materials as "browns" and high nitrogen content as "greens". 

Estimated Carbon to Nitrogen Ratios
Browns = High Carbon	C:N
Ashes, wood	25:1
Cardboard, shredded	350:1
Corn stalks	75:1
Fruit waste	35:1
Leaves	60:1
Newspaper, shredded	175:1
Peanut shells	35:1
Pine needles	80:1
Sawdust	325:1
Straw	75:1
Wood chips	400:1
Greens = High Nitrogen	C:N
Alfalfa	12:1
Clover	23:1
Coffee grounds	20:1
Food waste	20:1
Garden waste	30:1
Grass clippings	20:1
Hay	25:1
Manures	15:1
Seaweed	19:1
Vegetable scraps	25:1
Weeds	30:1

3 Ideas on How to Save Money in Your Garden

We all like to design and put in place our own plans so I thought I'd throw together a few ideas I have come up with or found on the internet.

Worm farm by using plastic boxes:
A great and cheap way to build a worm farm is to use plastic storage cubes. The good thing about these is that you can start with two. One catch tray and one first waste tray.
All that needs to be done is holes drilled in the top of the waste tray and a cover put on. The cover can just be a rubbish bag (this is mostly to stop the worms from getting over exposure).

As each rubbish tray gets more full, add another with holes drilled.

full-monte.me

Tyre Planter Boxes:
The next and very easy way to save money when planting plants is to use tyres. They are usually free to take at a lot of car yards.

If you fill them with soil, they make great planter boxes and can be arranged into nearly any shape you want. A lot of people even stack them!

repeatcrafterme.com

Pallet Gardening:
Pallet gardening is another great way to save money. Instead of seed trays, planter boxes and expensive wood, you can get free pallets from your local hardware store and use them to protect and grow your plants. It doesn't just have to be veges either.









All 3 of these ideas are easy and close to free to do. While it isn't always easy to get your hands on tyres or pallets, in the long run it is definitely worth it. Good luck!

How to Start a Worm Farm

hivetaranaki.co.nz

About 40% of a households waste is organic matter that can be fed to worms. 40% is a big number! You could be recycling this waste and using it to allow your garden to thrive. Worms start from the bottom layer in a worm farm and move up as they eat all the organic matter. They leave behind vermicast (poo!) and their urine. Both of which are great for your garden.

How to start your worm farm:

1. Piece together a worm farm kit with one tray above the collection tray. This is the tray you will put your waste in.
2. Put newspaper, light soil, coir or paper shreddings down first then cover with some organic matter. This is where your worms will live.
3. Over time or each day, put your food scraps and some garden scraps into the worm farm. As each layer gets more full, you add another one and the worms will move up.
4. Once the bottom layer has no (or very little) worms in it, remove it and use it in your garden as compost, fertilizer or mulch.


Worms can eat anything from hair clippings, manure, food scraps to even grass clippings. Make sure you keep a bit of air in the worm farm by occasionally adding shredded paper or cardboard.

Good luck with your worm farm endeavor!