🌱 Layered Compost with Rotted Manure

In short: Composting is the simplest way to turn kitchen and garden waste into nutrient-rich soil.

  • You need green and brown material, air and moisture
  • Green material 25–50%, brown material 50–75% of the total volume
  • Rotted manure is added as a thin layer, as a nitrogen-rich ingredient
  • A balanced compost heap does not smell strongly
  • Garden compost matures in 6 months to 2 years
Layered compost diagram: base layer of coarse branches, green layer 25–50% of volume, brown layer 50–75% of volume and a thin layer of rotted cow manure – Tammaru Farm

📈 Why is well-made compost good for your garden?

– Adds organic matter to the soil and supports soil life
– Improves water retention in sandy soil and makes heavy clay soil more airy
– Gives plants nutrients slowly and evenly
– Suits greenhouses, ornamental gardens and vegetable beds

🌾 How does composting work?

For efficient decomposition, microorganisms and earthworms need four components in the right balance:

– Green (nitrogen-rich) material: grass clippings, raw vegetable scraps, weeds
– Brown (carbon-rich) material: dry leaves, wood chips, shredded cardboard, straw
– Oxygen: the heap must not be too dense – air needs to circulate
– Moisture: the compost must be neither too dry nor too wet

According to Merrit Shanskiy, associate professor of soil science at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, a favourable carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in compost is 20–30 : 1. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommends 25–50% soft green material and 50–75% woody brown material by volume.

Why add rotted manure to compost?

Rotted manure is a nitrogen-rich ingredient that helps balance a heap with a lot of dry, carbon-rich material, and adds organic matter and nutrients (N, P, K and others) to the compost. According to the Luua Forestry School fertilisation guide, only decomposed manure should be used – undecomposed manure is not suitable near plants.

– Add it in thin layers, not as one thick, dense layer
– The right amount depends on how much dry, carbon-rich material the heap contains
– A well-working compost heap warms up inside and settles evenly; according to the Luua guide, manure compost reaches 50–60 °C while maturing

🧱 How to build a layered compost heap?

LayerMaterialAmountPurpose
1. Base layerCoarse branches, wood chipsThin layer at the bottomDrainage and air from below
2. Green layerKitchen scraps, fresh grass, weeds25–50% of total volumeMoisture and nitrogen
3. Brown layerDry leaves, straw, wood chips50–75% of total volumeStructure and carbon
4. Rotted manureTammaru Farm rotted cow manureThin layer between layersNitrogen and organic matter

Tip: repeat layers 2, 3 and 4 until the bin is full. The RHS recommends turning the compost several times a year so the heap gets air. According to the RHS, garden compost matures in 6 months to 2 years.

❄️ When to stock up on rotted manure for composting?

In winter, decomposition slows down because of the cold, but it is a good time to stock up on rotted manure. Tammaru Farm’s manure has decomposed for at least 3 years and keeps for several years without spoiling in covered plastic bags. If you stock up in autumn or winter, you can put your compost to work as soon as the first warm spell arrives in spring.

👉 Order rotted cow manure with a neutral smell in 30 L bags

See also: rotted manure as a compost ingredient and biowaste rules in Estonia

Sources: Luua Forestry School fertilisation guide (A. Otsus, 2004); Estonian University of Life Sciences (M. Shanskiy); Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Order: +372 52 388 52

Updated: 18 October 2026