Why Is Adding Air To Your Compost Pile Necessary?

You must often add air to your compost pile because air penetrates only the first few inches of the pile; it cannot easily get through to the middle of the pile. If you suddenly get that nasty rotten egg smell around the compost, oxygen is lacking and anaerobic bacteria are moving in. In other words, the pile may simply need to breathe, and it is time to add air to your compost pile.

When hot composting, plenty of air is essential to develop the high temperatures needed to kill harmful bacteria and speed the process of decomposition; therefore, air must be added to the pile in one of these five ways:

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Gardening Organic Compost Recipe

The organic compost recipe is quite simple: In order to end up with a crumbly, dark, soil-like humus, regardless which process you choose to use (and there are many processes you can choose from), you must supply your compost pile with this basic compost recipe: the right combination of food, air, and water.

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How An Organic Compost Pile Works

To help you understand, I will give you a general explanation of how a compost pile works. As mentioned, finished compost is “backyard magic” because finished compost helps restructure the soil, it reconditions the soil, it helps the soil hold onto its water protecting it from drought and erosion, and most importantly it puts nutrients back into the soil thus putting nutrients back into our food to help us stay healthy. There is just nothing comparable to it.

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