wright.taylor•3mo ago

My compost bin used to smell like a forgotten gym bag after just 2 days, but adding a handful of shredded paper with each layer of scraps has kept it odor-free for a full week now.

Has anyone else found a specific 'brown' material that works better than others for controlling smell in a small space?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_rivera3mo ago

Dry leaves are my go-to for that.

spencer_chen62mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, but nobody's talking about how dry leaves actually mess with the soil health long term. Yeah they look nice and break down, but if you pile them thick they suffocate the grass roots underneath and create a moldy layer that kills everything. Plus they trap moisture against tree trunks and that's how you get rot or fungus problems. I've seen parks where they just let leaves pile up for years and the ground underneath turns into a slimy mess with no bugs or worms. Why isn't anyone pointing out that they're basically a slow death for your lawn if you don't manage them right?

the_karen3mo ago

Honestly, that explains so many public parks.