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 |