Materials such as wood shavings-based poultry litter, leaves, shredded bark, or peanut hulls provide a more porous substrate for oxygen penetration. Wood chips, twigs and tree branches are dense, do not readily decompose and should be avoided. Moisture Optimum moisture contents for composting range from 50-60 percent. By-products and raw materials such as wet leaves, vegetable or fruit refuse, animal manures, sewage sludge, or food scraps would probably need little, if any, additional water to optimally compost. Materials such as wood shavings, sawdust, poultry litter, grass clippings, hay and straw, peanut hulls, chopped corncobs and corn stover, cotton gin trash, or shredded newsprint would require additional water.
Microbes use carbon as energy and nitrogen as a food source to produce proteins.
Animal manures, poultry litter, urea, grass clippings, legume residues and some sewage sludges are good sources of nitrogen. Wood shavings, straw, peanut hulls, and newsprint have high carbon contents. Temperature Temperature is a good indicator of how the composting process is progressing. Unless the pile is porous and well aerated, microbial activity will begin slowing within a few days with a temperature decrease until the pile is turned or reaerated. When this happens, the temperature again will peak.