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To begin the actual pile, add leaves or other dry yard debris that you have available. Ideally this layer should be a few inches deep and will give the pile a good, solid base. If you don't have any brown material to use, you can still start your pile. You can also use a light sprinkling of garden soil or recently finished compost to start the pile, which will introduce the correct bacteria. Green materials, which are high in nitrogen, are used to activate the heat process in your compost. Some perfect heat-generating materials include: young weeds (before they develop seeds), comfrey leaves, yarrow, and grass cuttings. Other green items that compost well include fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves (including tea bags with the staple removed), and chicken, turkey, cow or horse manure. Especially avoid compacting large quantities of green materials together, since they can rapidly become anaerobic. This means that there will not be enough oxygen for the most beneficial microbes to thrive and decompose your compost materials. Brown materials, which are high in carbon, serve as the "fiber" for your compost. Brown materials include fall (autumn) leaves, dead plants and weeds, sawdust, straw, old flowers (including dried floral displays, minus plastic/foam attachments), and hay. Other items that can be composted include: paper towels, paper bags, cotton clothing (torn up), egg shells, and hair (human, dog, cat etc.). However, use all these items in moderation. The ideal compost pile is between 3 parts brown materials to 1 part green to half and half, depending on what materials you have on hand. These items should come into contact with one another and should be laid down in thin layers that are only a few inches deep. If you want to include food scraps in your compost pile, you need to be cautious about attracting animals and insects and creating bad smells. To help stop these problems, cover the whole bin with a lid or simply cover kitchen scraps immediately with a layer of yard debris. If you don't have new yard clippings or debris to add, just tuck your kitchen scraps under the existing top layer in the compost bin.
Layer the bottom with lightweight brown material, if possible. Collect green composting materials. Use a lot of brown materials. Add other items to your bin. Layer a variety of materials in your bin. Cover your bin or bury food scraps under a layer of general yard waste.