Things You'll Need:
- Organic materials, such as food scraps and grass clippings
- Shovel
- Bin
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Step 1
Locate an area to place the compost pile. Do not locate it too near your house, since it will become somewhat smelly in warm weather, but don't place it too far from the house or it will be inconvenient to use. Also, consider where you will be using your compost, such as in the vegetable garden, as you consider different locations.
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Step 2
Build a wooden bin-like structure of the desired size. Leave the bottom open, you just need the sides of the bin. The sides need to be a convenient height so that you can reach inside with your garden tools to stir things up every once in awhile.
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Step 3
Add organic material to the bottom of your compost bin. Some good items to start your composting system are lawn clippings, pulled weeds and household scraps.
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Step 4
Add some water to your compost heap, but don't soak it. You want to keep the pile moist to encourage the bacteria to grow and multiply. You need to continue to monitor the moistness over time.
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Step 5
Press the compost material down and continue adding organic waste.
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Step 6
Turn the decomposing material in your compost pile occasionally. Turning the compost speeds up the decomposing process.
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Step 7
Remove composted material from the bottom of your bin once it has decomposed sufficiently to be used to fertilize your garden or lawn. It is ready once it becomes a brown crumbly material, almost like soil or store-bought fertilizer. The process usually takes about 2 to 3 months.
