However if the compost is not turned allow 9 to 12 months for the heap to mature. Turning once a month will aerate the heap and remix the decomposer organisms through the waste material. It also allows you to moisten the heap again. When your bin is full start another one. Coarse and fine material should be well mixed together.
Air is essential for odour free composting.
If necessary a crowbar pushed through the heap can be used to create aeration vents. Dampen your heap regularly in summer so as to maintain a consistency of a squeezed out sponge. It must be moist but not soggy. Decomposition is faster in the warm, summer months because the rate of decomposition is dependent on temperature. Compost is mature when it has darkened and shows few signs of its original structure, it should be a crumbly soil-like material of pleasant odour.