Some of you may have noticed talk of Carbon Nitrogen (C/N) ratios being thrown around like it’s going out of style in the world of compost. But what’s it all about? Is it even important? If so, how can I use it to my advantage? Well look no further.

All organic material and otherwise have a defined C/N ratio. This is pointing to whether a specific item is high in carbon or high in nitrogen. When an item is considered to be high in carbon it is also considered to be “brown.” And likewise, when high in nitrogen the item is considered to be “green.” Simple enough.

Next step here is to figure out what a C/N ratio is and what numbers mean it’s high in carbon or high in nitrogren. Let’s take a tomato vs. a nut shell for our example. Tomatoes have on average a C\N ratio of 15. Meaning for every 15 parts of carbon there is 1 part nitrogen. Seems high right? Well a nut shell has a C\N ratio of 60. So the carbon:nitrogen is 60:1. So yes, even the materials high in nitrogen have a much higher carbon component than nitrogen.

So where is the line between Green and Brown? I’ve read on some sources that 30 is the line, and I’ve read some places that say 25. So we’re going to say between 25-30 is considered ‘Neutral’. Below 25 is considered ‘Green’ and Above 30 is ‘Brown’. And what you’re looking to do is have your compost in the bin in the neutral line. So you’re in a constant game to keep the two amounts even.

The big question here is “how am I supposed to know what the C/N ratio is of any particular item?” Well, other than taking it to a Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory you can take advantage of the leg work I’ve done in the “What to compost” section of the website. Which I have gotten from various sources including this one. If anyone else reading has some more resources for more c\n numbers please comment them below!

Now does anyone really expect you to do this C/N thing perfectly and have the perfect neutral mix of your compost? No! I’m certain I don’t have it down. In fact it’s kind of confusing and I feel like I have way too much carbon most of the time and still want to add more paper to soak up some of the moisture! The key is to keep in mind what you typically compost, and think of it by weight knowing that the greens are probably going to weigh a lot due to water saturation. Add some dead things or shredded up stuff to help keep the ratio and suck up the smells and you’re good to go :)

I moved out to Seattle within the last week from Denver and it’s so far been quite a trip. I’m out living with my uncle in Preston of all places, about a half hour outside of Seattle. I’ve got a ridiculous amount of boxes I fear to ever look into and have found myself in yet another household without a setup compost system. And with such a beautiful yard it’s amazing that it’s going to waste!

Luckily there is a farm next door that I plan on going to to see if they have extra chicken wire to setup a nice outdoor freestanding compost setup. Maybe even some chicken poop to get it started!! I’ll pick up some free range organic eggs while I’m out it. Since I’m interested in setting up my own chicken system within the coming years I’m sure I’ll be fascinated enough with it to do a photo blog of my time over there for all my beloved readers.

One big reminder of the importance of a composting system here is the septic system. This means no garbage disposal, and thus a massive amount of loose organic material just asking to be composted! I’ll feed them to my worms for the time being but space is running out!