Q&A for How to Add Nitrogen to Compost

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Can I just toss things in a bin as I weed or accumulate kitchen scraps, or do I need to put everything in the can all at once? Also, how can I make layers unless I'm planning out my scraps ahead of time?

Lauren Kurtz
Professional Gardener
Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014.

Lauren Kurtz

Professional Gardener

Expert Answer

Composting takes several months to turn scraps into usable compost. A rest period, meaning nothing new is added to the compost, is necessary for the process. For example, spend the winter and spring adding material to your compost and then let the pile rest for the summer and fall. Or add compost until your scraps are large enough to use once they are broken down. Then let your pile rest. Having two or more compost areas is helpful and will allow for rotation.

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Question

Can you add lime into the bin while the material is decomposing?

Community Answer

You can, but it will reduce the rate at which your compost decomposes and can take away the nitrogen that's needed to break it down. Adding lime to finished compost is fine though.

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Question

What is cover cropping?

Donagan

Top Answerer

It is planting a legume (or other nitrogen-fixing plant) on a plot of land and then, once it's well germinated, tilling it back into the soil as a fertilizer before planting your next crop.

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How much nitrogen fertilizer granules do you add to a cubic yard of compost if you want a ratio of 30:1?

Community Answer

It really depends on how nitrogen-rich your fertilizer is and how carbon-rich your compost is already. Start by adding a small amount of it to your compost, wait a week, and see if it continues breaking down.

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Can I dig kitchen waste directly into the garden before and after the growing months?

Community Answer

We have done this in our greenhouse dirt for years with excellent results. We use a post hole digger. This is dirt that never freezes so it remains active all year.

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