Too much may cause an acidic compost. Nitrogen loss due to excess nitrogen in the pile (a low C:N ratio) can be over 60%. Grass clippings: nitrogen — they can be added as is too. If the pile gets too hot, turning or aerating will help to dissipate the heat. The C:N ratio is a critical factor in composting to prevent both nitrogen robbing from the soil and conserving maximum nitrogen in the compost.. Seaweed: nitrogen — seaweed is usually goopy and wet. ; Plant heavy nitrogen feeding plants – tomatoes, corn, broccoli, cabbage and spinach are examples of plants that thrive off nitrogen and will suck the nitrogen dry. – bin compost is 1.4-1-1.3 – vermicompost is 1.8-3.8-1.3. Add sawdust or fine woodchips to your soil – the carbon in the sawdust/woodchips love nitrogen and will help absorb and soak up and excess nitrogen. Microorganisms that digest compost need about 30 parts of carbon for every part of nitrogen they consume. Carbon rich materials can provide other functions for the compost heap. As detailed in this article , this type of compost has N=0.5% and P=0.27%. Too much carbonaceous material in the compost pile and decomposition will be slowed … too much nitrogen-rich material and the composting process will either become too hot or too soggy and microbe activity will slow or cease until the material naturally become more suitable for their life. If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. For the same input material, vermicompost compared to bin compost, will have higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. If there's too much nitrogen, the microorganisms can't use it all and the excess is lost in the form of smelly ammonia gas. The higher nitrogen can be beneficial, but the higher phosphorus levels can create problems in garden. The compost you prepare at home, where very likely you use a brown and green vegetable material, has a way lower N-P-K and, more importantly, more nitrogen than phosphorus. Temperature is a key parameter determining the success of composting operations. It is okay to leave it as is. Fish meal: nitrogen — this is a great option for compost. Having too much carbon materials will drastically slow down the process of the materials breaking down. Compost Physics. Particle size also affects the availability of carbon and nitrogen. Nitrogen – These materials are known as the “greens” in your compost bin and include things like grass clippings, kitchen scraps and coffee grounds. If you have too much nitrogen, nitrogen will be lost in the form of ammonia (which will also lead to an unpleasant smell). For starting seeds, you should never use 100% compost because it holds too much water and has a high mineral salt content, which prevents seeds … 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. That's a balanced diet for them. Sawdust: carbon — be sure not to use treated wood or to add too much. Wood chips can help build structure, while other “browns” like paper and cardboard can help absorb excess liquid released from the breakdown process. Many compost amendments make big promises, but are little more than hot greens or bacteria in a bag. Amendments. The rate at which composting occurs depends on physical as well as chemical factors. Compost has N=0.5 % and P=0.27 % added as is too high ( excess carbon ), slows. From the breakdown process too high ( excess carbon ), decomposition slows.! 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