To keep it simple, compost is nothing more than decomposed organic matter. However, mixing it in planting soil will improve the tilth (aka soil’s physical condition), aeration and water retention in your garden. And even if you don’t dig it into your growing ground, compost still makes great mulch.

Compost is also a natural fertilizer. While not packing the punch of commercial synthetic fertilizers, it can constantly provide small amounts of the basic nutrients — Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium — to your plants. And unlike a standard bag of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10, it is also supplies important micronutrients such as copper, manganese, iron, molybdenum and zinc. Also, as opposed to many store-bought fertilizers, you can’t burn plants using too much compost.

Dig in … to chemistry

To keep it simple, compost is nothing more than decomposed organic matter. However, mixing it in planting soil will improve the tilth (aka soil’s physical condition), aeration and water retention in your garden.

So, are you ready to start a compost pile? Let’s talk carbon-to-nitrogen ratios first. You see, soil bacteria and other microbes are the little beasties responsible for breaking the organic matter down, so you certainly want them to be happy. A good way to do this is keep the tiny critters well supplied with proper amounts of carbohydrates (for energy) and nitrogen (for cell growth). An ideal ratio is about 30-to-one carbon-to-nitrogen, with “carbon” being used as a gauge for carbohydrate content.

Still keeping up with this technical oogum-boogum? Fresh, succulent matter such as grass clippings, pruned leaves, spent flowers, and fruit or vegetable scraps have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of about 20-to-1, while dried material such as fallen leaves, hay and plant stems range from roughly 40–80-to-1 ratio. So, in order to get your pile around the magic 30-to-1 mark, a mix needs to be made.

OK, science lesson is over. Give your brain a rest and let’s simplify: Generally, if your compost pile is a mix of about two-thirds dry material to one-third fresh matter, you’ll be in the ballpark for a proper ratio that will crank up maximum decomposition.

Pile It On

Although you can just pile up organic goodies in your backyard and let ’er rip, if landscape aesthetics are important, a wire or wood slat enclosure is a good option. While plenty of compost bins can be found online (and even locally) for sale, it is a rather easy DIY project.

To start a compost pile, first spread a 4-foot square batch of small sticks on the ground or in your bin. This loose base will allow air (which helps decomposition) get into the pile from underneath. Next, form a layer of dried matter about 12 inches high and top it with 3 to 4 inches of fresh material. Then, sprinkle either a cup of complete commercial fertilizer or, if available, a few helpings of farm manure (cow, horse, rabbit, goat — even llama if ya wanna — are good sources). Finish it off with a few handfuls of garden dirt for extra microbes.

Sprinkle the initial layer with water, and then add three to four more layers, repeating the steps above until you have a pile around 5 feet high. Basically, think of it as creating a large, organic Oreo cookie.

After finishing, wait about a week, and then plunge your hand into the, um, Oreo. If it is warm, the pile is on its way to breaking down. It might even feel hot, which indicates you hit the ideal mix right on the nose!

Turning Into Gold

You can speed up the decomposition process to produce organic black gold (I’m still stuck on that phrase) by occasionally turning over the ingredients. Start at the top and simply flip the material over with a pitchfork onto another rough base of sticks beside to the original pile.

I usually turn my compost about every two weeks, which might seem like a leisurely pace to some pro composters, but I still get good results in a few months.

Although moisture is a key component to breaking down the organic matter, during times of heavy rains, think about covering the compost-to-be with a plastic tarp to keep it from turning into a sloppy muck.

When the ingredients have decomposed enough so they look more like dirt and less like their former forms, you can then mix the results into your garden soil or just spread as nutrient-rich mulch. Either way, try to use it up by autumn, when tumblin’ leaves will provide an abundant dry component to start yet another compost pile to-be, ready for next spring!