Starting a compost pile is a practical way to save money and insure you are getting organic composting material for all your gardening needs. To begin composting you must first determine a space in your yard you wont need to use for anything else for awhile. In other words don’t begin a compost pile where the pool will be dug in a few months.

The place you choose needs to have some bearing on where you will be using the composted material but just keep in mind compost piles aren’t fragrant. After all this IS fertilizer we are making here and we all know what fertilizer is. Essentially compost is not far from animal waste (fertilizer) in many ways. It is grass and food materials broken down over a period of time and tumbled periodically.

Once you’ve decided where the pile will be you need to set up a way to containerize the leaves, grass and vegetable peelings you will be composting. Using wire such as “chicken wire” or something that lets air in but doesn’t let the debris out is a good idea. Please note that dead grass and leaves create heat and can actually cause fire in instances where they are piled up and entirely closed in. Beginning with dead leaves and grass from yard cleanup is a great foundation for a compost pile and eventually you can add vegetable or fruit leftovers or peels from your kitchen to the pile. Using a pitchfork or similar appliance to dig in and grab the pile as it starts settling into the deteriorating process and flipping it is the key to creating usable compost fast. In no time you will have a working compost pile for all your gardening needs.