Ideas/Advice for home composting

[pumpkinfish]

I want to start a compost pile/bin but not sure where to start. Any ideas? We don't have a lot of land to use but I do want to start one. We have plenty of leaves and grass clippings that can be used. But is that what I should put in it? All I know is my parents have always had one and they have the best soil!

[amez]

We have a compost "pile" at one end of the garden. We have the room and it works well for us (low to maintain) I pile my stuff on and then scoop up some dirt to put on top. It needs to be kept wet and I turn it with the shovel occassionally and it compost quickly. Rachael Ray had it on her show one day and they showed just using plastic bins and tossing in handfuls of worms with the dirt. We put in food scraps (egg shells, potato peels,etc.) yard trimmings (unless they are really woody) some people shred junk mail, and newspaper (my husband worked for a printing factory a long time ago and he isn't comfortable putting the news ink chemicals in our garden soil).

[bobbiwoz]

I have a compost pile between my house and garden. I keep a container in my sink for peels and coffee grinds, and empty it into the compost daily. We also put some grass clippings (not much any more, the grass is mulched back into the lawn) and leaves. I've had it for about 10 years now, and each year before I plant my vegetable garden, we take the stuff from the bottom and layer it over the garden soil, and turn what's left in the compost pile. It's very fertile soil and easy to get.

We never added worms, they just appeared!

Bobbi