To start your compost pile, you will need to dig a shallow hole 5' by 5 ' by 2'
Surrounded with cinder blocks or chicken wire, or you can buy a compost bin from your local Home Depot.
First layer: will be the brown layer, this should have leaves, branches,and twiggs.
Be careful and do not put diseased foliage in the pile, it could kill the plants on which you will use the compost on.
Next, add a layer of green grass clippings or plant clippings, you can also toss in left over vegetable food waste.
DO NOT ADD ANIMAl BY-PRODUCTS, THEY WILL ATTRACT PESTS.
Now add water, until it is moist but not soaked.
You will want to chop up all large branches and evergreen boughs so they can break down faster.
Make sure you keep the compost moist and mixed with a pitchfork every week.
Keep a check on the temperature with a compost thermometer. It should be warm, @ 100 degrees. If the temp. drops, add more greens.
It can take anything from a month to a couple of years to turn your waste into compost. It depends on the types and quantities of materials used, the temperature, moisture, and amount of air in the mix.
For more information on compost pile click the underlined tile of this article.
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