C N Ratio Table
C:N Ratios to Balance Carbon and Nitrogen in Compost Piles | |||
Blending compost ingredients to achieve the right balance between carbon and nitrogen is an art, but it’s based on science. Knowing the C:N ratio of compost ingredients gives you some idea of how much of them to use in proportion to other materials in the pile. Where a range is given, choose the midpoint of the range when estimating proportions. It just takes time to learn by trial and error, so don’t get discouraged |
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Garden Material | C:N Ratio | ||
Carbon | Midpoint | Nitrogen | |
Soil | 12 | 1 | |
Food Wastes | 15 | 1 | |
Vegetable Wastes | 15 | 1 | |
Tree Trimmings | 16 | 1 | |
Cow Manure | 20 | 1 | |
Grass Clippings | 17 | 1 | |
Poultry Manure | 25 | 1 | |
Potato Tops | 28 | 1 | |
Garden Wastes | 5-55 | 30 | 1 |
Fruit Wastes | 20-50 | 35 | 1 |
Horse Manure | 22-50 | 36 | 1 |
Shrub Trimmings | 53 | 1 | |
Leaves | 40-80 | 60 | 1 |
Corn Wastes | 90 | 1 | |
Paper | 125-180 | 150 | 1 |
Hardwood Bark | 100-400 | 250 | 1 |
Sawdust | 200-750 | 475 | 1 |
Cardboard (Corrugated) | 560 | 1 | |
Softwood Bark | 100-1000 | 550 | 1 |
Newspaper | 400-850 | 575 | 1 |
Hardwood Chips, Shavings | 450-800 | 625 | 1 |
Softwood Chips, Shavings | 200-1300 | 850 | 1 |