Beginner Tips on Making Compost

In the world of gardening, compost is the star of the show. This does not come as a surprise since compost is the most cost-efficient and eco-friendly fertilizer and pesticide rolled into one. Plus, it certainly helps that compost and its tea are very easy to make, requiring only your household trash, simple equipment and a little manual labor.

With the following tips on making these organic materials, you are sure to get the most benefits out of them!

Measure by Volume

One of the secrets of successful compost making is to measure all the ingredients by volume. This way, you can achieve just the right temperature since your mass is just at the right volume. Usually, one cubic yard is the right volume when making compost.

Maintain Dampness

You can tell if a compost pile is too wet or too dry by taking a handful of compost and squeezing it as hard as you possibly can. If you only get one or two drops out of it, then it is just right. Any more or less than that amount means that it is too wet or too dry, respectively. Obviously, if it is too dry, add more water and if it too wet, let it dry out.

Add as Necessary

Balance is also the key to the success of the compost pile. You can either add in small amounts either green materials like shredded newspapers and kitchen leftovers or brown materials like wood shavings and dried lawn clippings. Why small additions only? Well, because these do not significantly affect the ratio between green and brown materials, thus, making it possible to adjust as necessary without making too many mistakes.

Let It Cook

And when we say cook, we mean maintaining the right temperature. Keep in mind that almost as soon as the pile is made, it will heat up and the microorganisms will start breaking down the green and brown materials.

The ideal temperature should be between 135° F where the human and plant pathogens are killed and 160° F where the beneficial organisms are also killed.


You can use either a long-stemmed thermometer or a turkey thermometer. Just make sure that you take several (2-3 will be good) readings from at least 3 points in the pile and that you stick the thermometer into the center.
You should turn the pile when the temperature reaches 155° F, which will mix the cooler materials on the outside of the pile to its center as well as introduce oxygen into it. You will need to do the turning every other day for the first week so as to maintain the 135° to 155° F range.
You will know when it is ready when the center of the pile is cool to the touch, which should be in about 6-8 weeks. However, you should be alert to any bad smells coming from the pile since it is bad business for you and your garden.

Your compost should have an earthy but pleasant smell to it instead of rotting flesh. You may need to introduce more aeration or more materials into the mix.With well-matured compost, you are assured that your vegetables and other plants will grow in abundance, all other things like weather being favorable. Plus, you saved on the cost commercial fertilizers, too.

Whitney is an expert gardener that owns a greenhouse manufacturing company and writes articles for his own article directory called the Garden of Articles.