Compost Carbon:Nitrogen Ratios Made Simple 💩

[@mynotificationsareoff.400]

Great video. I am a visual learner so having the number scale really did the trick to understanding.

[@azoresplayah]

This is so simple, yet brilliant. Thank you so much; I finally understand the formula for perfect composting, & I can now build amazing soil. Thx a billion stars. Amitābh

[@GiveitaGrow]

Enjoy!! I love composting, and it is very simpler once you get the hang of it :)

[@shankulvarada622]

A brilliant and a lucid presentation, explanation that is really down to " Earth " makes complete sense to me. definitely the best video I have seen on explaining Carbon:Nitrogen ratios. No more guessing. Thanks for posting!

[@Samanthie11]

I learned more in this video than my whole semester of soil science. Thank you!!!

[@georgepetre952]

You, sir, were born to teach!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@tims1633]

This is definitely the best video I have seen on explaining Carbon:Nitrogen ratios. Thank you very much!!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you!

[@amandaoliver8937]

I was totally confused about the 30:1 ratio and what it means...until I watched your video! Thankyou so much for making it so clear :))

[@GiveitaGrow]

Perfect! There can be a lot of numbers that get in the way of what is actually a very simple mixture. Thanks for watching!

[@lamdao1242]

Me too

[@terripurcell2130]

I cannot thank you enough for making this video! A handful of family and friends have started making little urban gardens and I just could not understand how to 'translate' the information provided in other videos but your video finally clicked everything into place. I have already shared this with others and they all said the same thing. Again, thank you!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you! I am so glad to help :) composting is super simple, but all the numbers can make it seem complicated. Ratios are just a guidline anyways. Eventually everything will turn into compost!

[@chibiMcdreamy]

This was a really easy, great way to understand composting! Thank you!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks :)

[@thetommantom]

So at the end of the year after my pile has settled down I spread the pile flat with 2 small piles at the ends near my house under the over hang. I got probably an entire cubic yard of dried non shredded leaves in my yard brought to me from the wind without even having any trees. I would consider my yard fairly big at 75x 200ft not flat with a couple bushes and a ditch. I spend my time in about 20ft squares raking the grass into piles like 10 minutes of work then leave it to soak rain. At most I'll have 5-7 piles of 2 cubic feet that I turn over every couple days to keep the grass breathing. With a mature pile of compost I add in all these light fluffy leaves. If I keep them in piles the wind has little affects on them until I try to find a way to move them across my yard. I put the leaves in the pile and use the weight of the compost to hold them down. I've even gone as far as putting frozen snow piles on them so it melts into the compost and soaks into the leaves. While raking the leaves I end up raking up some grass and besides that I throw in weeds and grass clippings in spring to summer. Since I get all this carbon while I lack heat and nitrogen I find creative ways to hold onto it since the leaves dry out and blow away until summer comes along and I have access to heat and nitrogen. This all started out as just a pile of weeds I pulled from the flower boxes that I left in a pile on my sidewalk then cleaned up the leaves from my yard and then added grass clippings. Now I have a long pile with multiple different mini piles in different stages and I basically just keep stacking up levels on top of piles and letting it setting into the pile beneath it and then mixing a pile next to it with it offset half way so I just flip back and forth between two piles next to each other. I take some out for indoor pots and fill in patches in my yard and I went from a tiny pile of flower box waste to an excess of good stuff. Gives me something to do. I look outside and if I'm bored I rake the leaves. Then I'll bury the piles. In the summer I'll pull the weeds or rotate the piles. Very satisfying.

[@tubetubepleasure]

I really appricate your simple illustration and make me understand how to make the ratio right. It is the best explanation regarding to this topic I have ever found.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thats great, thank you!

[@heathermotta8544]

Great visual with each ratio. Thank you!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@thebigrigtrucker7277]

This was literally the best video I've seen for explaining and showing the measurements of which materials to use to reach the 30:1 ratio. I've been struggling to get my compost pile hot and I know my ratio is off I just have been unsure of how to correct it. Thank you!!!!!

[@GiveitaGrow]

More Nitrogen rich material will help with a hot pile.

[@chrisharpin1568]

Hi GiaG, I built my first composter at the weekend after a fair bit of research. After hours of reading/watching hours of info on ratio balancing... you’ve taught me perfectly, thanks buddy 👌👍

[@GiveitaGrow]

Oh good! I wish you luck with your new composter, it is so fun starting a new pile and watching it "grow". Thanks for the feedback, I like your abbreviation of Give it a Grow. GiaG

[@johnhansen8272]

Thanks very much for this as I struggle with composting every year. Ironically this year my virtually all carbon material from autumn leaves shredded fine in October and November are now ready to use compost. I collected it and binned it to save it for summer greens but now don’t have to wait. Also, my amount of compost to material only reduced by about a third or a little more. Looking forward to seeing what my summer material does with fine shredding.

[@djryebread]

This was the best compost video I've seen thank you for the info

[@lisalashier9226]

Finally, something that makes complete sense to me. No more guessing. Thanks for posting!

[@GiveitaGrow]

You're welcome!

[@krisphillips5894]

The best compost explanation ever. Thanks

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you!

[@CC-lv1ox]

@Give it to grow Exactly what I needed to listen to for learning as a new organic gardener. Thank you.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Good luck! the numbers dont have to be exact so have fun.

[@leeming1317]

Even for somone mathematically inclined the ratios were tantalizing This simplifies it into neat ratios. Awesome!

[@shango6164]

Outstanding video presentation my friend. Thanks for taking the time to put this out. You have simplified it very well.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you!

[@paulald2004]

Thanks for the way you lay that out. Best explanation my brain has processed. I loved the visual of numbers to product used. Now, if I can just retain that info, I’ll be well on my way to a better composting adventure.

[@PBarrPrince]

Thank you for your presentation! Perfect. You must have read my mind today. My compost bin, if I miss 1 day turning, becomes a fire ant home. I RARELY miss a day because of this but had to miss 2 days this week. I'm overrun. Lol. But my main problem is providing enough nitrogen. So, I bought some Black Kow to kick things up a notch. I've used all my excess plant and kitchen materials and don't know what else to do to provide the nitrogen I think it needs. Your video gave me a visual example of what's required which helped me visually oriented brain to get it. Lol. Thank you for that. I understand my compost better now I think. I've subscribed because I love the straightforward informative yet relaxed style. Get my answer and GO! LOL. Excellent job. I'll be looking in again!

[@RebandRashed]

Spot on! thank you for that great and pedagogically explanation!

[@vedishplays]

Thank you for the explanation. You have helped soo many people.

[@perthkraya3209]

Simple, no drama . Thank you.

[@debfryer2437]

Hello. Please help! I’m new to low desert gardening in Arizona. Last February I made over my brick lined backyard by pulling up all the bricks which were set in the sand without cement. I used them to build 4 raised beds measuring 8 feet by 4 feet. I lined the beds with weed cloth then put a layer of cardboard for further weed blocking as well as to add nutrition as it breaks down over time. A friend brought me a truckload of chicken coop cleanings in June and I divided it between the three remaining beds. I covered all the beds with big flattened cardboard boxes to protect from wind and retain moisture. This month (October) temperatures are cooling enough to begin gardening. My local nursery, the only one in town, sells bulk gravel, sand and soil and when I called them they told me there were two options for raised beds and I would need to come see and choose. One was a half soil, half sand mixture. The soil is from local farmers and probably sprayed with all kinds of chemicals. The other option was called black mulch which looks dark and rich and does have very small pieces of wood chips in it. So that was my only option. Today I got the three beds filled to about three quarters full and topped them off with my homemade compost which comprises vegetable scraps, shredded paper and chicken manure. It looks and smells great. I then watered it deeply and then again an hour later. I also used the mulch to half fill a 4 foot square flower bed I built with the bricks in front of my home. I decided to give it a good watering before adding two bags of potting mix and to my horror the water stayed on the surface of the mulch. I worked it in then repeated this several times. I planted flowers in the bed. Yikes! Have I just made a huge mistake? The 4 large beds are for vegetables as I’m trying to be more self reliant food wise. I live in an area where large local farms ship everything out and there is very little organic and what there is is poor quality and expensive. I’m doing this on a very small budget and could not afford to fill my beds from bags of potting mix. An organic alternative with worms would cost me $1000 and I just can’t afford that. So today I am very discouraged and wondering whether I’ve completed messed up? Sorry this is so long. Help! 🙁🙁🙁🥲

[@GiveitaGrow]

The mulch probably needs more time to break down into humus, but it should be fine as a growing medium. My garden soil is very high in clay so water often pools on the surface, but it will eventually drain. You are probably fine, but to improve the drainage you can try to work in as much potting soil, sand or compost as you have and that should also help the mulch break down faster. Keep it well watered too. Also, woodchips can take up nutrients as they break down so keep an eye on your plants to see if they need fertilizer. I hope that helps, good luck!

[@debfryer2437]

@@GiveitaGrow thanks so much but I’m giving 80% away to neighbors as it’s about 300% carbon. I’m keeping a couple inches and working it into the aged chicken manure in the bottom of each bed. Then added some coffee grounds and watered in. I’m getting an organic bagged potting mix for the upper two thirds and next season will mix it all together with my homemade compost. Thanks so much for your response! This is my first attempt at low desert gardening as we move into winter. 🥦🥦🥦

[@shaylinsuren1027]

A unique perspective, helpful work. Thanks a lot!

[@ashiola]

Very clear and concise. Good work!

[@doraduplessis2727]

This was a brilliant explanation. Thank you.

[@AnseloSilver]

when I hear big words such as "nitrogen" then I wonder if I need to review my old chemistry books..... lol... but your explanation of ratios was very simple and easy to understand. Thanks

[@andrewhewett-horne887]

Great video. My maths is shocking so when so ratios really put me off. This really broke things down and i learned a lot from it. Thank you

[@aldychristian7075]

Thank you so much for useful and easy understand formula. God Bless You

[@MooMooOutdoors]

Thank you for this video. This really explains compost ratio clearly.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@7Risen7Phoenix7]

My dad's been doing compost for two years. I've been working in the produce department of the local high-end grocery store for a year, and as such I have access to plenty of scraps and cardboard. Of the five (sometimes six) days I work each week, I have immediate access to scraps twice weekly (sometimes more, if I'm able to), and thrice weekly on cardboard. On those three days I will always collect the cardboard to (actively) cut up into 1"^2 (one square inch/2.5 square centimeter) bits, and whenever he needs greens/nitrogens he'll let me know. I'll also periodically collect two bags of overripe bananas when he requests.

[@idrissaba5398]

I enjoyed the video and would like to know more about balancing compost.

[@ionitamc5149]

Thank you very much, and God bless you! Simple, short, clear!

[@GiveitaGrow]

You're welcome!

[@Veronica-nq9kr]

????This was great info! I live in a very dry desert-like area, so I'm always in the lookout for free materials to scrounge. So far, my major resources are horse manure, kitchen scraps, and coffee grounds. I also have dried leaves, coffee chafe, and straw. What's the best way to combine these resources? And is composting possible through the winter?

[@sparksbakery]

interesting....i love to cook, always wanted good soil for a garden to grow fresh ingredients. very helpful

[@miku4j]

Thanks a lot. You're so good at teaching!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you :)

[@ericeinsmann5559]

Just got a 55 gallon drum to use as a compost tumbler. I intend to use almost all grass clippings and sawdust. So, three parts grass clippings to two parts sawdust should be good

[@wayneclark2823]

Please be kind and explain how you worked out how many parts of each you need.

[@ericeinsmann5559]

At the 2:22 mark he starts talking about 1 handful of kitchen scraps to 1 handful of dried leaves or 2 handfuls of scraps to 1 handful of shredded paper. Based on this, I extrapolated and got 3 parts grass to two parts sawdust

[@ericeinsmann5559]

Actually, at 4:18 he talks about A big bucket of grass clippings to a half bucket of sawdust, so maybe 2 to 1 might be a better ratio rather than 3 to 2

[@GiveitaGrow]

Sounds great! In general I like to add more carbon to be safe and keep down smells, but more nitrogen will is great for a hot compost.

[@arajarivan5503]

Thank you so much for an outstanding explanation. Cheers from Sweden!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@kpmarine10]

Thank you! Wonderful video!

[@GuderII]

Caan your compost pile using chicken manure ? And can chicken help to fast compost pile get food from it? Please help answer, I am starting like 1 week ago and my compost pile always get scraping by my chicken

[@GiveitaGrow]

Yes, do make sure you give the manure enough time to compost completely. It may take a full season but then it will be safe for your plants.

[@FallingStary]

I don't get where your numbers are coming from but I can definitely visualize this from a actual scale and how weight placement changes its balance soooooooo nice I honestly think I have to write this got for it to click for me

[@vickiewatson6583]

I started my first compost pile just yesterday! Thanks for another great video!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Yay!!! Composting is so rewarding! Let me know if you have any questions :)

[@downbntout]

Nice n simple. Saved this. Thank you sir

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Wow, give it a grow... This video was awesome! Thank you so much I needed this. I've been wanting to put my own compost in my garden for years and I just didn't know how to go about doing it. This is going to help so much, I'm actually going outside right now to to start it!!

[@GiveitaGrow]

I love that your watching my compost videos! :) This one should be extra helpful kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXi6gKBrq9mVgsU Its my top 5 tips for starting a new compost pile

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Give it a Grow haha I was Just watching that one as you messaged me. Lol Thx! I am getting so impatient waiting for this heat to go away.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Hahah! That is so funny! I just re-watched that video and it has some great info, everything you need to know to get started without feeling overwhelming. Thanks so much for watching!

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Give it a Grow cool thanks so much!

[@muhammadatifmuhammadamin9563]

Hi, sir. The ideal carbon-nitrogen ratio would be 30:1. Can you explain how the calculation is being done? I mean one handful of kitchen waste is 20:1 and balanced it with one handful of dried leaves as you said which is 60:1. So if I sum it up, 20+60=80, 1+1=2, so, 80/2=40. Just wanna know if my calculation method is wrong.

[@jasonjarred5198]

This was bloody awesome thank you!

[@GiveitaGrow]

You're welcome!

[@DavidMFChapman]

Pretty good rules. I don’t think you have to be precise about it, as long as you try to achieve a balance. I keep a trash bin full of shredded leaves next to my backyard composter and throw some on every time I throw in kitchen scraps (daily). My compost has improved immensely since I started doing this. I also use shredded boxboard as a carbon source.

[@GiveitaGrow]

I am definitely not this picky myself, but I wanted to give detailed numbers as a guideline for those just starting out composting. Cardboard is great for adding extra carbon, but yeah, a stash of dried leaves is the best!

[@tallgoofyb]

I like the idea using shredded paper but what kind of chemicals are in newspaper ink???

[@snoproperties9100]

Hi, really enjoyed your explanations. Where does egg shells and coffee grinds fall on the C:N scale?

[@GiveitaGrow]

Coffee grounds and egg shells are a "1" on the Nitrogen side for general food scraps.

[@radamson1]

What about grass that has dried, or any other nitrogen rich product that has dried out before it reached the compost pile?

[@briellemurch2721]

Amazing explanation thank you!!!

[@n2bfw884]

Excellent. Thanks!

[@karenirine]

Omg thank you now I understand a little better .What about putting guano in a compost and how do I get it to back up?

[@DaddyKitesTV]

This is the best one I have seen so far! Amazing! I now understand it! =)

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you!

[@kamijonatsuko6033]

Thank you so much for this video. The way you teach is very creative and easy to remember. I love how you made number 1 with banana peal! It is a friendly educational style for the visual learner

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you! I try my best to show rather than tell. So many gardeners on KZbin just point the camera at themselves and talk talk talk.. lol

[@eliev7844]

What an awesome video! I’ve finally got it!!! Thank you so very much for this incredible demonstration!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Glad it helped!

[@awkwardbbq8332]

Great video. Liked the explanation of materials and ratios. Wondering what the ratio of hedge clippings would be? I'm guessing as the clippings dry the ratio moves from Nitrogen to carbon?

[@YellowjacketFarms]

Great video!!! Compost are awesome to have😊 . Great information!!!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@yamanmustafa]

Bit hard to hear the information with the music playing over it :(

[@cogangeezer]

Finaly the answer i was looking for , well done great video .

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you!

[@stephanielovesshane]

What would be the ratio for cow manure and sawdust please? Would it be 1:1?

[@everseeking60]

Wow this was amazing. Thank you...such a smart way to make it easy to understand. Such an awesome teacher. Started composting and after watching this I realise I'm doing it wrong.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks! There is really no wrong way to compost, but adding lots of carbon is usually a good idea to keep down the smell.

[@Lokjutus]

That's great, but I want to know how much is the ratio of greens to browns. E.g. 1 bucket greens to 1 bucket browns...or 2, greens, one browns..., etc.?

[@GiveitaGrow]

N=greens C=browns, so 1 to 1 if they are food scraps and dried leaves ect. Hope that helps :)

[@dinosaur0073]

Thank you for make it soo simple for us who have no experience.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Happy to help!

[@nitaganguly7946]

The best simple explanation till date

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@zhuliu]

What is the c/n ratio of 1) wheat berries and 2) corn grain?

[@dewragdan6699]

What happens if you have too much nitrogen?

[@Navkaarcreations]

Very well explained

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thank you :)

[@hanoscanos9066]

What about the colour in the newspapers? Isn´t it poisonous? And how do I do with wood ash?

[@mikesearle830]

I’m going to go use this right now.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Awesome!

[@SandipKumar-bd9xk]

This is the only composting-ratio explanation on the internet that makes sense

[@GiveitaGrow]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DillonJan]

Im curious about the temperature of the pile, do you manage to get the pile into thermophilic stage?

[@youremom5463]

Are fresh tree branches high carbon or nitrogen

[@rovingpursuits3229]

Excellent video! I feel like a compost expert now! 👍

[@annap214]

genius ! that makes it so easy! glad I found this video!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Finding the balance can be tricky at first, but with composting you don't have to be exact. I'm glad this video helped :)

[@kaihongmi9054]

Can magazine paper be composted? Read somewhere that magazine paper contains plastic.

[@scottcardwell932]

Excellent thanks

[@carolynsteele5116]

No wonder my compost has been having problems! One year I mixed half and half horse manure with sawdust (the manure already had quite a bit of straw), and wondered why it wasn't very rich...duh.

[@alder128]

In your third example at 2:39 you said to get the proper 30:1 ratio, you would mix 3 handfuls of vegetable scraps (20:1) with 1 handful of sawdust (300:1), but wouldn't this give a C:N ratio of 90:1? (300*1+20*3 = 360 total parts C - 1*1 + 1*3 = 4 total parts N → 360:4 = 90:1). That's nowhere near 30:1. If you used 1 handful of sawdust, wouldn't that require 27 handfuls of vegetable scraps? (300*1+20*27 = 840 total parts C - 1*1 + 1*27 = 28 total parts N → 840:28 = 30:1)

[@GiveitaGrow]

More carbon is safer as the compost will be less smelly. Its not just about the numbers, but also about the consistency. One handful of sawdust is just not enough to spread over 27 handfuls of food scraps. Dont get too bogged down with the math, a perfect balance is not necessary, its just something to aim for. I hope that helps.

[@alder128]

@@GiveitaGrow Yes, thank you very much :)

[@realebogamalwane794]

Thank you

[@prensesdoga-oz7xc]

Thanks.

[@hayfordsomuah1134]

I took a book and make sure I will have a very long break just to learn about composting..😂😂😂 U helped me save more time

[@orestiskarghotis9759]

Very well explained! Thank you so much

[@GiveitaGrow]

Thanks!

[@ssolheim2000]

Help?! I tried this and it seems to have killed my composting. I had a bucket of vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and egg shells that seemed to be composting well, although it's temp was only about 100 degrees. I found this video and decided to add in some saw dust, so I added one part saw dust to 3 parts vegetable scraps. I also added some holes to my bucket as rainy season was about to start and I didn't want to drown out my compost. Now, my compost is at about 75 degrees - the same or lower than the air temperature. What did I do wrong?

[@GiveitaGrow]

If you want a very hot and active pile, more Nitrogen is good. The woodchips will breakdown and produce heat as well, just keep them moist.

[@flowerflower5784]

Thanks for sharing

[@GiveitaGrow]

My pleasure

[@tycox8704]

Surprised your measuring is based on volume rather than weight.

[@Kre8iviT27]

Where do worm castings fall in on the scale? I assume they'd be on the nitrogen side

[@GiveitaGrow]

I would call them 0 because they are basically finished compost.

[@nickdurrant4283]

Don't put worm castings in hot/aerobic compost piles - the heat in the compost will kill a lot of good biology and worm eggs. Best to use worm castings as is in the garden.

[@abhinavsahu6440]

We can also use urea for providing nitrogen ? How much urea will be needed for 10 kg saw dust ?

[@1dva3si]

super helpful... just to clarify, are you comparing by VOLUME or WEIGHT? when you compare leaves and food scraps, it looks like you are doing it by weight... is that correct?

[@GiveitaGrow]

Volume. I do try to compact the leaves to get more in, but because of all the water weight in the foodscarps I balance C:N by volume.

[@christinehaslam9480]

Would pine needles fall under the leaves category? Thanks, great video!!!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Yes, pine needles would be Nitrogen, but if they are old and brown they are closer to neutral or even Carbon.

[@danielhunt7291]

This is an amazing video!

[@hamharrington7646]

Thank You! I finally understand now.

[@GiveitaGrow]

Awesome!

[@taylormeelee]

Thank you for this!

[@GiveitaGrow]

Good luck!

[@snoopylyn9065]

I add so many carbon but why my compost bin has white fuzzy mold🤷🏻‍♀️

[@GiveitaGrow]

Mold is usually a good thing in the compost, could be leaf mold. Its all part of the decomposition process.

[@snoopylyn9065]

Give it a Grow good to know thanks 😊

[@josefuentes383]

How much soil should I add per each bucket of 1 nitrogen rich and 1 carbon rich? Thanks for your video.

[@GiveitaGrow]

I add a sprinkle of soil to compost now and then, but its mostly carbon and nitrogen rich materials to keep it active.

[@nickloxton1773]

i live on a farm and have plenty of wheat or barley straw. What would you class this straw as in terms of carbon?