Long before it became a ’90s buzzword, composting was something we just did. On my family’s farm we had to make the most efficient use of all our resources. The vegetable scraps, the rabbit manure and the animal bedding all went into the pile, there to decay naturally into a fine, dark, moist and crumbly substance.

We did not have any rules for how high it could be piled or how much we could add of one thing versus another. Compost just happened, and when it got to the stage where grapefruit rinds and eggshells were no longer recognizable, it was spread out on the flower beds and the two-acre vegetable garden and tilled in. It improved the structure, water-holding capacity and aeration of the soil in which we grew our food. It buffered the garden from freezing and thawing, slowed erosion and supplied our crops with some nutrients. Not bad for a heap of “garbage.”

Composting was easy for us, and it can be for you, too. It’s not rocket science—just a natural process you can coax to make it happen faster. Even if you set it up without the perfect ingredients or conditions, it’s hard to fail.

Starting off

Before you begin composting, you’ll need to create a work space. You’ll want it to be close to where you will use the finished compost and convenient to the raw materials. An ideal site is no more than a hose-length from a water faucet, is out of the wind, is not under trees or within reach of their root systems and has good drainage so the bottom of the pile will not get soggy. It can be in either sun or shade. You’ll also probably want it concealed from sight somewhat, as you would any work area.

The amount of space you’ll need depends on how much “waste” your garden produces. I use about 30 sq. ft. for a 7,500-sq.-ft. (0.2 acre) yard. My lot is a fairly typical size for an urban area, and about half of it is either lawn or garden. As a rule, allow between 60 and 90 sq. ft. of composting work space for a lot up to a half acre in size.

I would recommend construction or purchase of a composting bin. The main purpose of a bin is simply to keep the materials contained, so, it can be almost anything that will hold a minimum of one cubic yard (3 ft. tall, wide and deep) of materials. I’ve found that the simplest and most effective “bin” is a 12-ft. section of galvanized dog fencing (having rectangular 2-in. by 4-in. openings) formed into a circle. Get the heaviest gauge wire you can find. The cost should be less than $10, and you can find fencing at any well-stocked hardware store.

Building the pile

To build a compost pile, assemble the correct proportions of green and brown materials and begin layering them alternately in your bin according to the proportions given above. Wet each layer down with a hose to the point where the materials just glisten or where they become sticky when you put your hand into the pile. Make each layer no more than a few inches thick, and put kitchen scraps at the bottom or center to avoid the problem of animals foraging for food and disturbing the pile.

At certain times of the year, you may not have enough of either browns or greens to build a pile in the “correct” proportions. In the fall, for instance, dead leaves are abundant, but green materials are scarce. One solution is to stockpile brown materials until some greens are available in the spring and then build the pile. I have used this method, piling my leaves in a 6 ft. x 6 ft. crib for the winter. However, you can compost brown materials with little in the way of greens. Make the pile as you normally would, but between the layers of leaves sprinkle a little topsoil. The topsoil settles the pile down, adds more microbes to the mix and helps retain moisture. The pile will decompose, but it will take longer.

In spring and summer, you can find yourself with an overabundance of greens—usually grass clippings. Spread clippings thinly (1 in. thick) on garden beds as a mulch; they’ll quickly decompose. Or practice “grasscycling” by leaving clippings on your lawn.

The process

Finished compost: Your plants will love it as a potting soil ingredient (after sifting), mulch, or soil amendment.

Fine-tuning

If you feel like going the ­extra mile and really speeding up the process, try shredding the materials. Smaller particles have an increased surface area for microbes to work on, so the process proceeds much more quickly and generates more heat, which in turn accelerates the process even more. A chipper/shredder is useful to shred garden debris. A lawn mower is effective for leaves and nonwoody waste. News­paper can be shredded by hand, and kitchen scraps can be cut into small pieces.

To further accelerate decomposition, you can try adding what’s called “compost starter,” a microbe-packed powder sold nearly anywhere you find compost bins and tools. I have yet to see scientific proof that starters are effective in small-scale composting, but some gardeners have apparently had good results, and you may wish to experiment.

Problems

There are really only two problems you might encounter: a pile that smells or a pile that doesn’t heat up. Don’t despair. Just review the basics: Are the proportions of green and brown materials right? Is there too much or too little water or air?

A pile that is unusually odorous can be caused by an excess of green materials, an unmixed deposit of grass clippings or other green materials, or an excessively wet pile. Make sure the mix of brown and green materials is right and that there are no big clumps of greens. Place the pile in a spot that drains adequately so water does not accumulate around the base, and if it does get too wet, fluff it up to bring air in.

A pile that doesn’t heat up is most likely due to brown materials that are too coarse, a pile that is too small, a total lack of water or a lack of nitrogen. To remedy the problem, make sure you have more than just, say, twigs for brown materials, and that the pile is at least one cubic yard in size. Rebuild the pile, following the instructions I’ve given for wetting the pile and for mixing browns and greens, and your pile should start cooking.

Also take into account the outside air temperature. When it’s below 40°F, expect less activity. Assuming everything else remains in order, once temperatures rise, the process of decay will take off.

Tools and gadgets

One of the real attractions of backyard composting is the fact that setup is cheap and recurring costs are small or nonexistent. I’ve tried many approaches and have but one conclusion: The best setup is the simplest. Spend your money on good tools instead of intergalactic bins. Buy a good manure fork and lightweight scoop shovel (a shovel with a deeply curved blade to hold loose materials) to turn and “harvest” the pile. A pitchfork, a hose-end sprinkler with a shut-off control (to make wetting down the layers easy without wasting water) and a machete for chopping are also useful.

Last but not least, buy a long-necked composting thermometer with a good dial for easy reading. That way, for every adjustment made to the pile, in 24 to 48 hours the gauge will indicate if your efforts are a success. Watching your pile hit 120°F when it’s cold outside is guaranteed to charge your composting spirit!