Materials Anything growing in your yard is potential food for these microbes. Microorganisms use the carbon in leaves or woody wastes as an energy source. Nitrogen provides the microbes with the raw element of proteins and nucleic acids to build their bodies. This balance can be achieved by mixing. Table 1 can help you judge the ratio of your compost ingredients.
Composts often are deficient in nitrogen when wood wastes are added to the mixture.
This can be corrected by adding 1 pound of urea per cubic yard of compost mixture. The more surface area the microorganisms have to work on, the faster the materials decompose. Chopping garden wastes with a shovel or machete, or running them through a shredding machine or lawn mower speeds composting. A large compost pile insulates itself and holds the heat of microbial activity. Its center will be warmer than its edges.