Building & Maintaining a Compost Pile

A well-managed compost heap is gold for the garden. With the right basic principles, valuable fertilizer forms within a few months.

The ratio of brown to green

The most important principle: 3 parts brown : 1 part green materials.

Brown materials (carbon-rich): dry leaves, straw, cardboard, wood chips, sawdust

Green materials (nitrogen-rich): grass clippings, kitchen scraps (raw), fresh plant material, coffee grounds

Layering and structure

1. Coarser materials at the bottom (twigs, wood chips) for aeration
2. Green layer on top of that
3. Brown layer on top
4. Repeat the layers

Moisture and aeration

The compost should feel like a wrung-out sponge – moist, but not wet. Turn it every 4–6 weeks to introduce oxygen and speed up decomposition.

What doesn't belong in the compost

• Cooked food scraps (attract pests)
• Meat and fish
• Diseased or pest-infested plant material
• Citrus peels in large quantities