Throw in your vegetable and fruit peelings along with your yard waste. Mix it up with a shovel or pitchfork once in a while. All of these are essential, but they're easy to mix together for quality compost. Greens provide nitrogen, and act as a source of protein for the microbes that are hard at work in your compost pile. Straw Wood chips Twigs and branches Sawdust Shredded newspaper Corncobs and stalks As living things, the microbes in your compost pile need water and air to work and live.
Water allows microbes to grow and travel around in the pile to decompose materials.
Turning your pile each week with a spade or pitchfork will provide air to aid decomposition and control odors. Just say no. While many materials can be composted, there are some items that you should keep out of your home compost pile. Excluding foods with meat, dairy or oils will minimize odors and keep your pile from attracting scavengers like dogs and raccoons. Since compost is generally used for a soil amendment, you want to keep it free of plant diseases and unhealthy bacteria.