By applying compost year after year, you don't have to worry too much about whether a crop has enough fertilizer. Although autumn is a good time to start a compost pile because there are more fallen leaves, gardeners easily can start composting any time. Leaves should be chopped up with a lawn mower, and any tree trimmings should be wellchopped, said Dennis Nehring, agricultural agent at UW Extension Rock County. For gardeners who compost, bacteria and other microorganisms are their friends. It's the microorganisms that combine with moisture and oxygen to break down organic plant materials into usable compost.
Heat is the key to decomposition.
The pile doesn't need turning, and it will eventually decompose in one to two years. Usually, homemade or manufactured bins hold leaves, grass clippings, small twigs and vegetable and fruit scraps. Gardeners must turn the material every couple of weeks and monitor the pile's moisture content. And the temperature is important. For a compost pile to decompose efficiently, the temperature inside the pile should be between 160 and 170 degrees, Hall said.