Compost Ratio Calculator (Greens & Browns)
The one number that makes compost work. Enter what you are adding and see if your heap is balanced.
A healthy compost heap wants roughly equal parts greens (wet, nitrogen-rich: food scraps, fresh grass, manure) and browns (dry, carbon-rich: dead leaves, cardboard, straw) by volume. Too many greens and it turns to smelly slop; too many browns and it just sits there. Count your buckets and check the balance.
Quick reference
- Greens: food scraps, fresh grass clippings, green leaves, coffee grounds, manure, weeds (no seeds).
- Browns: dry leaves, cardboard, newspaper, straw, sawdust, dry stalks.
- Aim: roughly 1:1 by volume. When in doubt, add more browns; most heaps fail from too many greens.
New to it? Start with which composting method suits you, then what you can and cannot compost.
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