Tips for Composting

Do you want to start composting? Are you confused about how to get started or how to maintain the pile? Composting is a great way to recycle some types of food waste, household trash, and lawn debris. This rich organic matter is great for improving soil in your garden or landscape while helping the environment. These 10 tips can help you better understand how to create and maintain a compost pile:

1. Choose the right spot

Place your compost pile or bin in a shady and well-drained area so it doesn’t dry out too fast or become waterlogged.

2. Pile size is important!

Build the pile at least about 3 ft. wide × 3 ft. high so it can hold heat and decompose properly.

3. Mix “greens” and “browns”

Include both nitrogen-rich greens (like kitchen scraps and grass clippings) and carbon-rich browns (like leaves or cardboard) for balanced decomposition.

4. Layer materials

Alternating layers of organic waste with a bit of soil helps introduce microorganisms and speeds decomposition.

5. Keep it moist (not soggy)

The pile should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge; dry piles slow down, and overly wet ones can smell or rot.

6. Aerate by turning

Turn the pile regularly (about every few weeks) to add oxygen, helping microbes break down materials faster.

7. Shred or chop big pieces

Small pieces break down faster than large branches or chunks, so cut up materials when possible.

8. Avoid problem items

Don’t compost meat, dairy, fats, pet waste, diseased plants, or chemically treated materials—they can smell, attract pests, or spread pathogens.

9. Add nitrogen if needed

If the pile is too high in carbon, like lots of dry leaves, adding a nitrogen source (greens or fertilizer) can speed things up.

10. Know when it’s ready

Finished compost is dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling; when the center cools and materials look uniform, it’s ready to use.

For more in-depth information on how to compost, download MSU Extension Publication 1782, “Composting for the Mississippi Gardener.”