Balance a compost pile's carbon to nitrogen ratio.
Each feedstock contributes carbon and nitrogen in proportion to its mass and its own C:N ratio; the pile's ratio is the carbon divided by the nitrogen. A roughly 30 to 1 ratio decomposes steadily; too much nitrogen smells and too much carbon stalls the pile.
Compost C:N Ratio
C:N = total carbon ÷ total nitrogen, with each mass split by its ratio
C:N = total carbon ÷ total nitrogen, with each mass split by its ratio Each feedstock contributes carbon and nitrogen in proportion to its mass and its own C:N ratio; the pile's ratio is the carbon divided by the nitrogen.
A roughly 30 to 1 ratio decomposes steadily; too much nitrogen smells and too much carbon stalls the pile.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Browns (carbon) by weight, Browns C:N, Greens (nitrogen) by weight, Greens C:N. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.