Compost mix calculator
Use this before you build or top up a heap. It compares the volume of browns with the volume of greens and tells you what to add to land in the balanced range most home heaps do well in.
Compost mix calculator
Count your material in buckets (or bags of the same size). Greens are fresh, moist scraps and clippings; browns are dry leaves, straw and cardboard.
How it works
The calculator divides browns by greens. Between 2 and 3 to 1 is treated as balanced, because browns are light and bulky while greens are dense. It is a starting point; the heap's smell and feel tell you the rest.