Yes, it will be less offensive if you compost it correctly. Composting has numerous other advantages when used to treat organic waste materials. The composting process stabilizes the organic waste, thus reducing the potential for odor and making the nutrients available to plants at a slower rate. Compost added to soils has also been shown to increase biological activity in the soil, improve soil tilth, and increase the availability of certain plant nutrients already in the soil. Furthermore, the composting process can turn materials such as manure, grass clippings, leaves, yard debris, and other organic materials—frequently considered nuisance items—into a valuable resource. Proper composting can even kill most weed seeds and disease organisms that may be present in the organic debris.
Several conditions are important for proper composting to take place:
1) The materials to be composted should have an appropriate carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio, from 20:1 to 30:1. It should be noted that horse manure with bedding may have C:N ratios in the 100s:1. With a higher ratio (more carbon), the composting process takes place more slowly; with a lower ratio, there is increased chance of loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere. In practice, this means using a blend of high-carbon materials such as leaves, straw, or yard residue and high-nitrogen materials such as livestock manure or fresh grass clippings.
2) Moisture content between 40 and 60% should be maintained. If the material is too dry, the lack of moisture will slow microbiological activity, and the compost pile will not heat up properly. A compost pile with too high a moisture content will not stack properly and will have insufficient oxygen for the microbes. In addition, too much water in the pile may cause soluble forms of nitrogen or other nutrients to leach from the compost. A simple test for measuring moisture content is to take a handful of the composting materials and squeeze them into a tight ball in your fist. If the materials stay in the tight ball shape when you open your hand, they are probably too wet. If the materials fall apart rapidly, they are probably too dry. Properly moistened, the compost materials will form a ball when squeezed, but the ball will break apart readily.
3) The microbes, which break down the organic materials in the composting process, require oxygen, so proper aeration is critical. If the compost pile has insufficient air, anaerobic organisms are favored. The presence of these organisms, as well as other chemical conditions favored by low oxygen, increases the chance of loss of valuable nitrogen to the atmosphere. Aeration of compost is usually achieved by physically stirring or turning the pile periodically or through aeration pipes worked into windrows or compost piles.
4) Compost must be able to achieve and maintain sufficient heat to speed biological activity and to help kill weed seeds and plant pathogens. Although the composting process produces heat, often in excess of 150° Fahrenheit, retaining it can be difficult during cold weather. Building the pile large enough, with each of the three dimensions at least 4 feet, decreases the surface-to-volume ratio and helps to keep the center of the pile warm. A covering of plastic sheeting or straw will provide some insulation to help retain heat. To ensure effective pathogen reduction, all materials in the compost pile must be exposed to the high temperature for at least three consecutive days.
For more information, see:
* Cornell Composting, Cornell University
* Horse Manure Management Fact Sheet, Ohio State University
Author: Mark Rice, North Carolina State University
