- 1
A wooden pallet allows your compost pile to drain.boxes and pallets image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
Place a 3- to 5-inch layer of dry, course material, such as twigs or bark, in your compost bin. If you aren't using a bin, lay down a wooden pallet to use as a base for your compost pile. - 2
Dead leaves are commonly used as organic material for compost.dead leaves image by Stephen Gibson from Fotolia.com
Add a 6- to 8-inch layer of organic material, such as dried leaves and grass clippings. Grass clippings should be mixed with coarser material to stop it from compacting and preventing air flow. Larger material, such as wood pieces, should be chipped to encourage quicker decomposition. - 3). Run water over the organic matter to moisten it throughout, but do not soak it.
- 4). Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of manure or sprinkle with 12-12-12 fertilizer to add nitrogen to the mix. This will aid the decomposition.
- 5). Spread a layer of soil on top of the nitrogen layer.
- 6). Continue adding organic material to the bin as needed until it is full to 3 inches from the top. If you have an open compost pile, it should be no larger than 5 by 5 feet.
Source...