Composting Guide: Greens and Browns

Composting is a part of the self sufficient lifestyle: Greens and Browns

Posted by Kevin Quinlan ADD COMMENTS

Newbie composters will need to quickly familiarize themselves with two terms: greens and browns. These two items are the fundamental ingredients of your compost pile. The sooner you understand the difference between these two ingredients, the better off your compost pile will be!

Greens

Your green ingredients are going to include the materials that are rich with moisture. These ingredients typically supply a high amount of nitrogen to your compost bin and will act as the activator

Examples: fresh lawn clipping, cantaloupe rinds, coffee grinds, and egg shells

Browns

Brown ingredients are the materials you add to your bin that are dry. These materials are typically high in carbon.

Examples: dried leaves, sticks, newspaper, and pine needles

Creating balance between your greens and browns

Every compost bin is different from the next. Creating balance between your green and brown ingredients will take a bit of work, but over time this task will become much easier. A general rule of thumb suggests that your green ingredients should outnumber your brown ingredients in a 2:1 ratio. This is just a starting point and you will need to tweak your compost to account for the specific materials you are adding!

Other important ingredients

So now that you understand the difference between greens and browns, you should also understand the importance of air and water to your compost bin. Proper air circulation in your compost bin will allow your ingredients to break down faster. Adding water to your compost bin will create the essential moisture your ingredients need to compost.