Over the years I have started more then my own fair share of compost piles on my own properties.  The basic concept is so simple and in reality anyone can do it.  Some of my greatest warm moments have come from the time or two that I have shown someone else how to set up their own compost pile and have helped them get it going.

Some minor instructions first.  You put together a compost pile with just about anything.  I know that there are those out there that probably think you have to get some special composting bin and such as that to make it work.  The simple truth is you can start a good composting pile from just lawn clippings, the brush from cleaning out an overgrown area, and so on.  It helps to have a decent mix of things between the woody (carbons) things and more organic things like leaves, grass, and even animal manures.  I prefer to call those organic materials all manures, as historically turning any of those into the soil would be classified as such.

Truth of the matter is you can get those fancy bins or even build your own container for it or what have you.  Of course you can also do just as well with just a compact pile that in an ideal situation just alternates layers of the manures and wood.   As you do this, keeping it compact with in the scope of the material you have will help it get the heat going and certainly maintain it.  It is better to stack it up instead of out if in doubt about it on your part.

The really cool thing and the thing that brings most smiles to folks is that even as you are building your pile up, you can stick your hand down into a lower level and feel the warmth already starting as the pile gets warm and begins the decomposition process.  That process over time, with a bit of water, will lead to a nice rich dark dirt in a short time.  The time will of course depend on just the exact composition of the pile itself, the ratio of things, and how often you turn it.  Yeah, it will work a bit better if you come along periodically with a big fork and turn it over (or if you went with one the contraption bins, just flip it).  Another smile of course is on those cooler mornings seeing the steam rising up off compost pile as it does its work.

My general suggestion, if you are on a small scale working with just yard matter is to two piles, one that is working it magic and second one that you are putting stuff into.  Coming from my background with a farm, horse stall matter, and so on I could start five or six larger size piles every year.

You are going to get a nice rich black compost and/or top soil that you can dress your garden or plants with the following year.  The nice thing is, those garden plants in general make a wonderful part of a your next years compost pile when they reach the end of their usefulness.

Have a good time with your composting and let me know later how things go.