If you toss organic material into a pile, give it a little oxygen and water, and wait a while, you'll wind up with compost, arguably the finest soil amendment and conditioner around, says Paul James, host of HGTV's Gardening by the Yard. But if composting is so easy to make and so good for the garden, why don't more people compost? Often people simply don't know how to get started. Choose a convenient site for your compost pile. If you plan to add a lot of kitchen scraps to your pile, locate it near the house. If the bulk of your raw materials will come from the vegetable garden, your pile should be close to the garden. Take the hassle out of composting, or you'll never get into the routine. If you compost a lot of kitchen scraps, keep a bucket under the kitchen sink -- ideally one that holds up to a week's worth of scraps. A compost pile should preferably be situated away from tree roots because roots will quickly spread through the pile and suck all the nutrients out of the compost. Make more compost faster by locating the pile in an area that gets at least a few hours of sun a day: the heat will help speed the decomposition process. Keep your pile within range of the hose so you can keep the compost slightly moist. If it dries out, decomposition will come to a standstill. If the perfect spot for your compost pile happens to have grass growing on it, the first thing to do is get rid of the grass. Take a shovel and dig out the turf, taking a few inches of soil along the way, and flip the sod over as you go. This will kill the grass and create a good base for your pile. Now all you have to do is dump a bunch of raw material on the ground: leaves, grass clippings, hay or straw. To generate the heat necessary to break down the contents, make sure the pile is at least 3' square at the base and roughly 3' high. A smaller pile won't cook well, and a taller one may not get enough oxygen at its center. A compost pile doesn't have to be contained within an enclosure, and since turning a pile frequently is the best way to get a lot of compost in a hurry, the most effective setup is no enclosure at all. Some people don't compost because they're concerned about destroying the look of their landscape. A compost pile can be unsightly, but ways exist for getting around the problem. The simplest enclosure is a cylinder of wire fencing placed in a corner of your yard. Wooden snow fencing is a bit more attractive but more expensive. When it's time to turn the pile, lift the fencing, move it a few feet, and toss the material back into the bin. Enclosures may also be made from cinder blocks, shipping pallets or bales of hay or straw. You can buy a compost bin, but a slightly modified metal trashcan is one of the best homemade composters. To make one, punch several holes in the bottom of a 20- or 30-gallon trashcan with a hammer and a large nail. Flip the can over and set it on a few bricks so air can circulate underneath it. Fill the can with about 3" of garden soil, followed by 3" of kitchen scraps, 3" of shredded newspaper and 3" of leaves or grass clippings. Keep the lid on the can, and continue building layers until the can is full. Within about three months, the compost will be cooked to perfection, all without turning or watering.
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