Creating Compost

• 1). Establish a compost area. Determine how much space you have to work with, and how elaborate you would like your composting bin to be. Compost occurs when microbes break down organic material, such as leaves, vegetation or grass, and convert it into soil. Compost can be created by simply piling organic kitchen and garden waste up somewhere in your yard or garden. There are also a wide variety of composting bins that can either be constructed, or purchased. These range from a simple roll of chicken wire, to wood and wire three-chamber bins, to rotating barrels suspended off the ground on a metal stand. The simple pile of material will generate compost of just as high quality as that of the most expensive composting bin. The benefits gained from different composting bin models are ease of turning the material, and speed of generating compost. There are even indoor compost bins. These small, sealed containers often use red worms to convert the organic kitchen material into compost.
  
  Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to create compost. Organic yard waste spread on the ground will eventually be converted into compost. Different types of composting bins only accelerate the same process that happens in nature.
  
  
• 2). Add organic material. Once you have determined where and how you want to compost, then take your organic yard waste and kitchen material, and toss it into your composting pile or bin. Almost any vegetable matter from your garden will compost, but some material breaks down much slower than others. Wood breaks down very slowly, as does Bermuda Grass. For practical purposes, consider leaving these out of your compost pile or bin. As far as kitchen waste is concerned, vegetable matter is fine. In addition, eggshells and coffee grounds are excellent for compost. Do not introduce meats, bones, oil or grease into your compost. In addition, animal or human feces is not suitable for composting.
  
  
• 3). Layer material. It is helpful to layer your compost pile in order to allow the material to break down faster. For example, put down a layer of kitchen waste, and then a layer of grass clippings or autumn leaves. By adding layers of fluffy material to denser material, you will allow air to get into the compost. This will, in turn, break the material down faster.