Compost is a balance of oxygen, water, nitrogen and carbon. In composting parlance, the nitrogen part is known as “greens” and includes yard trimmings and food scraps. The carbon part — a.k.a. “browns” — includes dry leaves, paper, cardboard and wood clippings. Justin “Jules” Guiliano, urban farmer and lead soil researcher for Rosy Soil, recommends a 50/50 balance but says, “based on what you’re putting in, you might need a little more of one or the other.”

If your pile looks dried out or isn’t transforming into compost, you may need to add more greens. If it smells like garbage or seems overly wet, that’s a signal to incorporate more browns.

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