In nature, everything organic will eventually compost...if given time. Tree leaves, corn stalks, dead raccoons and rotten eggs will eventually turn into compost. However, in your backyard compost production, you will want to use only organic matter that comes from plants. The reason for this restriction is because unwanted critters such as rats, raccoons and other vermin will be attracted to any animal based waste in your compost pile. For most of us in an urban/suburban situation such visitors are unacceptable especially if you want to keep good relations with your neighbors.

As far as plant based wastes are concerned, the sky is the limit. You can compost all of your leaves and trimmings, dead vines and stems from the vegetable garden, grass clippings (although you should not be collecting them anyway), wood ashes and sawdust. Paper products can be also be added since they originated from a tree. You can also use your vegetable peelings or left over lettuce or peas.

For most backyard compost piles, the key concept will be "layering" the material as you build the pile. The process is rather simple but following it will help lead to success.

1 - Start with a bottom layer of about 6 inches in depth consisting of a mixture of carbon and nitrogen sources such as leaves and other plant material.

2 - If you have a good mixture of brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen), you can skip this layer. Otherwise, if you have primarily brown such as tree leaves in the autumn, you may want to balance that off with several ounces of a nitrogen fertilizer such as urea.

3 - To help get the pile working, spread a thin layer of soil or compost from another pile to "innoculate" your pile. It is not necessary to buy commercial products for this purpose. The organisms you need are already in your pile or will show up soon if you make the conditions right for the microorganisms.

4 - Continue to build layers until you have reached about half way to the top of the bin.

5 - At this point, take a pitch fork or other implement and mix the layers together thoroughly. If the material is dry, add water as you mix so that the pile is moist but not waterlogged.

6 - Continue to build layers in the same way.

7 - When the bin is full, thoroughly mix the top layers and add water as needed.

• Intro to Composting
• Types of Composting
• Organisms
• Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio
• Site Selection
• Composting Bins
• Equipment
• Starting the Pile

• Maintaining the Pile
• Aeration
• Watering
• Finished Compost
• Using Compost
• Troubleshooting Problems
• Composting Terminology

Note: We have provided some general information and observations on this topic aimed at the home gardener. Before you take any serious action in your landscape, check with your state's land grant university's Cooperative Extension Service for the most current, appropriate, localized recommendations.