To create a good compost pile, it requires three basic ingredients:

1. Browns which include newspapers, dead leaves, branches and twigs (dry, chopped or shredded)
2. Greens which include fresh grease clippings, vegetable scraps and coffee grounds (wet,chopped or shredded)
3. Water

It is important the have the right amount of browns, greens and water for the compost to work. You will want to have an equal about of green to brown and change to layers of varied sizes of organic parts. The brown ingredients provide carbon for your compost and the greens provide nitrogen with the water providing moisture to break things down.

Before you start, find a dry shady location and near a water supply. That water is nice to have close by.

There are a variety of containers to use for outdoors or indoors and also just an area with a tarp on top outdoors. See manufacture’s instructions for indoor composting. Check out the list of what to have and not in your compost pile below.

Start by covering the composting area or bin of choice with about 6 inches of brown material. Adding bulky items such as straw, chopped twigs, leaves or pine needles which will keep the pile from compacting or settling. This also allows air through the compost.

Top the brown with about a 3 inch layer of green parts. At this time add some soil, finished compost or compost starter that helps the process cooking.

Continue to add the layers of brown, green and soil, finished compost or compost starter. Top layer to be about 3 inches of brown and add more water as needed to be moist. Be sure to moisten dry parts as they are added just enough to wet down like a damp sponge and not soggy. If the materials are too wet, the compost will be compact and restrict airflow in the pile. Should this happen, turning the compost will dry it out and add air and you will on your way again.

The compost will heat up on its own naturally and will settle as the parts breaks down and decompose. Don’t be concerned if the mixture does not reach high temperatures as compost happens at all temperatures.

You can continue to add more parts to the compost, but put the food material into the center of the pile or cover with brown material.

Turn the compost weekly to distribute air and moisture throughout. As you turn the pile, move the dry materials from the edges into the middle. If properly tended, the compost will not attract pest or rodents and no bad odors.

Odor problems tend to result too much moisture, which causes a compact pile and loose oxygen flow or too much green material which give off-gas smelly odors (or both). Adding bulky or brown material will help to correct the gasses. Add the brown material to the top of the compost bin, you may have to mix the browns in throughout the pile, where the bulky material will help keep the pile oxygenated if odors persist.

The finished compost ingredients, for the most part, will no longer be recognizable. Use this completed compost as a soil amendment, potting soil or mulch. Test if the the compost is finished cooking and ready for use when it has a somewhat uniform look, dark in color, small size, and “earthy” odor.

Use only completed compost as a soil amendment for best results. Incorporate it into the soil when used as a soil amendment before planting. Mixing 1-3 inches of compost to the soil surface and blend into the existing soil to about 3-4 inches deep.

Gardeners should use only fully decomposed (finished) compost as a potting mix. Mix your compost with sand, vermiculite, perilite etc. to create a great planting blend. Container grown plants need a potting soil that keeps its moisture, but also has good drainage.

If your compost still has larger pieces, but is otherwise finished, you may want to sieve the finished compost through a 1/2″ screen to remove larger pieces of material that didn’t break down as it may rob nitrogen from plant roots. It is always good to keep some coarse or bulky material in the mix to improve drainage. Happy planting!

Leave out the following:
Black walnut twigs or tree leaves
Coal or charcoal ash
Dairy products
Diseased or insect-ridden plants
All oils or fats, grease and lard
Meat
Fish
Bones
Pet wastes (dog or cat)
Yard and trimmings with treated chemicals

Add the following:
small tree limbs or twigs (chopped to about 3 inches)
Horse or cow manure
cardboard rolls
clean paper
coffee grounds and filters
eggshells
fruits and vegetables (chopped)
Yard trimmings and grass clippings not chemically treated
hair and fur
straw and hay
houseplants
leaves
sawdust not chemically treated
shredded newspaper
tea bags