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| Troubleshooting Guide |
The following are some of the most common problems associated with home composting. But don’t worry these problems are easy to fix!
| The Problem | The Solution |
| The compost material appears dark and soggy, how can I dry it out? | Try adding new fresh material. Avoid adding too many grass clippings at once, as these will make the material wet. If the compost is in a cool place, try moving it to a warmer spot. |
| My compost heap is beginning to smell, what should I do? | If the pile is not getting enough air, nitrogen builds up, causing odour problems. Turn the material each day and add some soil and woody material to create air pockets. Also ensure that cooked food is not being added. |
| My compost bin is attracting pests, what should I do? | Avoid adding meat bones, dairy products and grease, which attract vermin and dogs etc. Narrow wire mesh attached to the bottom of bottomless bins should help. |
| I found slugs in the bin, what should I do? | Slugs are one of the creatures that help the composting process. You can take out any visible slugs and dispose of them in an organic fashion. The numbers will not increase dramatically as a result of composting. |
| After spreading the compost in my garden, weeds began to grow. Why did this happen? | The bin is not getting hot enough to kill of the weed seeds. Make the mix hotter by finely shredding the materials and by not adding plants that contain seeds. Digging the compost into the garden will reduce the chances of the seeds growing |
| The pile is dry and not doing anything, what should I do to help the process? | Add some fresh greens and mix in |
| How can I reduce the number of flies around the bin? | Add a layer of soil layer or newspaper to distract flies |