|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Pile fails to heat
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Material too dry
|
Cannot squeeze water from material
|
Add water or wet ingredients
|
|
|
Materials too wet
|
Materials look or feel soggy; pile slumps; moisture content greater than 60%
|
Add dry amendments and remix
|
|
|
Not enough nitrogen, or slowly degrading or stable materials
|
C:N ratio greater than 50:1; large amount of woody materials
|
Add high-nitrogen ingredients; change composting recipe
|
|
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Poor structure
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Pile settles quickly; few large particles; not excessively wet
|
Add bulking agent
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|
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Cold weather and small pile size
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Pile height less than 3.5 feet
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Enlarge or combine piles; add highly degradable ingredients
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|
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pH excessively low
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pH measures less than 5.5; garbage-like odor
|
Add lime or wood ash and remix
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Temperature falls consistently over several days
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Low oxygen; need for aeration
|
Temperature declines gradually rather than sharply
|
Turn or aerate pile
|
|
|
Low moisture
|
Cannot squeeze water from material
|
Add water
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Uneven temperatures or varying odors in pile
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Poorly mixed materials
|
Visible differences in the pile moisture and materials
|
Turn or remix pile
|
|
|
Uneven airflow or air short circuiting
|
Visible differences in the pile moisture and materials
|
remix pile
|
|
|
Materials at different stages of maturity
|
Temperature varies along the pile length
|
None required
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Gradually falling temperatures; pile does not reheat after turning or aeration
|
Composting nearing completion
|
Approaching expected composting time period; adequate moisture available; C:N ratio less than 20:1
|
None required
|
|
|
Low moisture
|
Cannot squeeze water from materials
|
Add water and remix
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Pile Over heating (greater than 150F)
|
Insufficient aeration for heat removal
|
Pile is moist
|
Turn pile to increase airflow
|
|
|
Moderate to low moisture; limited evaporative cooling
|
Pile feels damp but not excessively wet or dry
|
Add water; continue turning and aeration to control temperature
|
|
|
Pile is too large
|
Height greater than 8 feet
|
Decrease the pile size
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Extremely high temperatures (greater than 170F) in pile: composting or curing/storage
|
Pyrolysis or spontaneous combustion
|
Low moisture content; pile interior looks or smells charred
|
Decrease pile size; maintain proper moisture content; add water to charred or smoldering sections; break down pile, combine with other piles
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| High temperatures or odors in curing or storage pile
|
Compost is not stable
|
Short active composting period; temperature and odor change after mixing
|
Manage pile for temperature and odor control, turn piles as necessary; limit pile size
|
|
|
Piles are too large
|
Height greater than 8 feet; width greater than 20 feet
|
Decrease pile size
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Ammonia odor coming from composting piles
|
High nitrogen level
|
C:N ratio less than 20:1
|
Add high-carbon amendments
|
|
|
High pH
|
pH greater than 8.0
|
Lower pH with acidic ingredients and/or avoid alkaline ingredients
|
|
|
Slowly available carbon source
|
Large woody particles; C:N ratio less than 30:1
|
Use another carbon amendment or increase the carbon proportion
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Rotten-egg or putrid odors coming from composting piles continually
|
Anaerobic conditions
|
Low temperatures
|
|
|
|
Materials too wet
|
|
Add dry amendment
|
|
|
Poor structure
|
|
Add bulking agent
|
|
|
Pile compacted
|
|
Remix pile and add bulking agent if necessary
|
|
|
Insufficient aeration
|
|
Turn pile to increase airflow
|
|
|
Anaerobic conditions
|
High temperatures
|
|
|
|
Pile too large
|
|
Decrease the pile size
|
|
|
Airflow uneven or short circuiting
|
|
Remix pile; change recipe
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Odors generated only after turning
|
Odorous raw materials
|
High temperatures
|
Frequent turnings; increase porosity; add odor-absorbing amendment
|
|
|
Insufficient aeration; anaerobic interior
|
Falling temperatures
|
Shorten time interval between turnings; increase porosity
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Site related odors (piles not odorous)
|
Raw materials
|
Odor is characteristic of the raw material
|
Handle raw materials promptly with minimal storage
|
|
|
Nutrient rich puddles because of poor drainage
|
Standing puddles of water
|
Divert runoff away
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Fly or mosquito problems
|
Flies breed in compost piles
|
Fresh manure or food material at pile surface; flies hover around piles
|
Turn piles every four to seven days; cover static piles with a 6-inch layer of compost
|
|
|
Flies breeding in raw materials
|
Wet raw materials stored on site more than four days
|
Handle raw materials promptly
|
|
Condition or Situation
|
Possible Source/Reason
|
Other Clues
|
Remedy
|
| Compost contains clumps of materials and large particles; texture is not uniform
|
Poor mixing of materials or insufficient turning
|
Original raw materials discernible in compost
|
Screen compost; improve initial mixing
|
|
|
Airflow uneven or short-circuiting
|
Wet clumps of compost
|
Screen or shred compost; improve air distribution
|
|
|
Raw materials contain large particles and non-degradable or slowly degradable materials
|
Large, often woody, particles in compost
|
Screen compost; grind and/or sort raw materials
|
|
|
Active composting not complete
|
Curing piles heat or develop odors
|
Lengthen composting time or improve compost conditions.
|
