How To Build a Compost Pile

COMPOSTING PILES
For easy and efficient composting, yard wastes can simply be stacked into piles. Organic waste can easily be added to the pile as they are collected. It is not necessary to add soil, fertilizer or compost "starter" to a pile, as all the ingredients necessary for composting are already present in the organic waste.

COMPOSTING BINS
A tidier composting method makes use of holding bins, which are simple structures that surround and confine compost piles. Bins can be constructed of wire mesh shaped into a ring or from wooden pallets lashed together to form a square. Round composting bins made of recycled plastic are available from the Butler County Recycling Office. For $3.00, you will receive the composting bin, instructions, tent pegs to hold your bin to the ground, and nuts/bolts to assemble the bin.

BUILDING THE COMPOST
Choose a good, well-drained location. Gather your organic materials and layer them. Try to get a good mix of "browns" (leaves, straw, newspaper,wood chips, sawdust) and "greens" (grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit waste, garden residue, manure). Start with a base of about 4 to 6 inches brush, wood chips or another porous material. This will allow air and soil organisms to enter the pile from below. Add 3 to 5 inches of "green" materials. A bit of soil may be added to more quickly introduce the soil microorganisms to your pile. Mix the layers. Pick up a handful of the material to check for moisture content. Just a few drops of water should come out. If dry, add water. Continue building alternate layers of "browns" and "greens", mixing and watering when needed, until the pile is 3 or 4 feet high. Once the pile is built, it should heat up within a day or two and will begin reducing in size. Periodically turn and mix the pile to introduce air and move materials from the outside of the pile to the middle. Add water when the pile is too dry. The more you turn the pile, the sooner you will have finished compost.