Ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen

The carbon to nitrogen ratio is called the C:N ratio

The carbon serves as an envirnmental energy source for most microorganisms. They use the carbon to build cells and the N in protien production.

C:N less than 20:1 = high nitrogen content (should not result in immobilization of soil N)
With a high nitrogen content the micro organisms will take N for them selves and convert the remaining organic N into ammonium nitrate (NH4+) in a process called mineralization

Mineralization: organic N (protein) ------> microbial activity------>NH4

Plants absorb the inorganic ammonium nitrate as organic N can not be used by plants.

C:N greater then 20:1 = low N content
The microbes whose activity increases because of the addition of the carbon will not obtain enough nitrogen and will absorb the plant available N from the soil. Causes N deficiency where a high C:N had been added to the soil. The loss of plant available N is called immobilization which is ; NO3 or NH4 ----> microbial activity -----> organic N
Immobilization could tie up the nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4) for months untill the N is released by mineralization of the organic nitrogen

C:N example
400:1 = saw dust and contains 40% carbon.

NH4NO3 is ammonium nitrate and is 33-0-0
CO(NH2)2 is urea and is 46-0-0

Info obtained from Colorado State University

what does this mean to me trying to make my own soil?

Put about half browns and half greens in the pile. Browns have low carbon to nitrogen ratios, and greens have high carbon to nitrogen ratios. Since neither is close to the ideal 20 to 1 ratio, you mix the two to get about that (in a large enough pile) so that the pile heats up.

Well you shared a good ratio information here.