" Building and maintaining a compost heap is a great way to reduce organic waste and to make your own rich compost for your plants and gardens. It's an easy project to do. Here's how. First, choose a location for your heap. Check to see if there's any local zoning regulations or restrictions pertaining to composting. Pick a spot that's somewhat out of sight, but close to your garden and landscaping. Clear the area and if you wish, contain it with snow fence or other fencing. Measure a space that's no smaller than 3 square feet so that the compost heap will work, and no larger than 5 square feet to be manageable. Choose an area with good drainage that's sheltered from direct light and strong winds. It helps to be able to reach the compost heap with a hose as it has to be watered from time to time. Drive fence post into the 4 corners of the area you've set aside for your compost heap. Make sure that the posts are plumb so the fence will wrap evenly around the posts. Each of the 4 posts have small hooks where you can attach the wire fencing. There are many types and sizes of wire fencing you can choose from. We're going to use a vinyl-coated, welded-mesh utility fencing. Mesh fencing typically comes in 50-foot rolls. This fence is easy to handle. It's colorful. It resist rust, and the open mesh allows air to reach the compost. Hold the wire mesh under the hooks on the 1st fence post and hammer the hooks over the mesh wire to secure the fencing in place. Pull the wire fencing tightly around the other 3 posts to form a 3-sided container for the compost. Using electrician's pliers, cut off the section of mesh you're going to use from the rest of the role. We'll leave the front open. Continue to secure the rest of the fence to the post. Cut the mesh fencing 1 or 2 sections higher than the fence post, and then fold over the mesh fencing. This will help protect you and your family from the sharp edges of the mesh fence. With all the edges folded over, you now have a simple 3-sided container for your new compost heap. You begin a compost heap by creating layers of organic material. Start with a 6 to 8 inch layer of organic green materials like grass clippings, rakings from weed whacking, yard trimmings, and other green materials. You can include all your organic kitchen scraps such as vegetable peelings, old salads, fruits and vegetables. The nitrogen in the green materials feeds the microbes that break down the pile into compost. You can even throw in old coffee grounds and filters, and dryer and vacuum lint. Mixed with this, we're going to add 6 inches of brown organic ingredients such as dry leaves and small twigs or wood chippings from carpentry projects, which provide carbon necessary to generate fuel to breakdown the organic materials. Small pieces break down fastest. For instance, it's best if leaves are shredded if possible. Mix the grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and leaves together to create a 12 to 15 inch layer. Leave the pile loose and fluffy so that air can get at it. Sprinkle this layer with either a cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer or compost starters mixed with water. If you use a commercial compost starter, follow the directions on the label. The fertilizer or starter acts as an activator to accelerate the ignition of decomposition. These activators provide a nitrogen source for the microbial community. Lastly, add 1 to 2 inches of topsoil in an even layer across the organic material. Plain garden soil will work just fine. The soil helps to stimulate the breakdown of organic materials. Continue adding 12 to 15 inch layers to the compost heap. Each layer consists of a mixture of green and brown organic materials. Mix each layer as you add more material. You have to keep a compost heap moist. As you build the layers of the compost heap, wet each layer with a bucket of water and fertilizer, and then add 1 inch of topsoil. Almost immediately, microorganisms begin to feed off this mixture of green and brown organic matter. Within this well-balanced food supply, the microorganisms begin to reproduce, and in the process, create heat. The heat stimulates the development of more microorganisms, which in turn, feed off the mixture of moist organic material and the decomposition cycle continues. Continue to add layer after layer of green garden and lawn clippings to supply the nitrogen mixed with brown leaves, wood chips, and broken up twigs to supply carbon. Cap each layer with a mixture of fertilizer or compost starter mixed with water, and then a layer of topsoil. Stop when the heap is between 3 and 5 cubic feet in size. A compost heap that's too small may not get hot enough for the composting reaction to take place, and a compost heap that's too large is too hard to turn. So here are the tricks for care and feeding. The compost heap has to remain moist to work. A good of rule of thumb is if you can squeeze a drop or 2 of water out of a handful of working compost, the pile is moist enough. If it becomes too moist for too long, it will start to smell, in which case, turn the pile over with a pitchfork more frequently to encourage evaporation. If the pile is too dry, add water using a garden hose. Wet down the outside surface, and then stick the hose into the interior of the pile in a few places, being careful not to overwater. In addition to moisture, a compost heap needs oxygen for the decomposition to take place. Using a pitchfork, fluff the every week or so to allow air into the center of the pile. Combining watering and turning the pile simplifies the maintenance of your compost heat. A properly-blended, fluffed, and moist compost heap should reach temperatures of around a 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside. To check to see if it's hot inside the heap, insert 1 end of a copper metal pole into the middle of the pile. Let it sit for a minute and then pull it out. The end of the polls should pole warm to touch. With care, the heap will begin breaking down into compost in a matter of months, longer if the materials are course or the weather is very hot or very cold. Finished compost is a rich dark brown material with an earthy smell. Mix with your garden soil or spread out over the surface as mulch, the nutrients in your compost will greatly improve the quality of the soil, nurturing your plants, and ensuring a strong and healthy growing season."