Compost Calculator

Get the right browns-to-greens ratio for a hot compost pile of any size, using the materials you actually have on hand.

1. Pile or bin size

2. Browns you have (carbon)

3. Greens you have (nitrogen)

Your pile recipe

48 cu ft

Browns (75% by volume)

16 cu ft

Greens (25% by volume)

Browns

Dry Leaves

C:N 60–80:1 — Most abundant fall material; shred for faster breakdown

48 cu ft

Greens

Kitchen Scraps (fruit/veg)

C:N 15–20:1 — Bury in pile center to deter pests

16 cu ft

Layer 4–6 in of coarse browns at the base, then alternate 2–4 in green layers with 4–6 in brown layers. Each layer should feel like a wrung-out sponge — moist, not dripping.

Finished compost is much less volume than what you start with, as materials break down and settle.

📖 Read the full composting section in Organic Fertilizing →

More on composting

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