Many people now want to know how to make compost for the garden. To be a successful gardener it is essential to be able to make your own compost. If you plan to grow vegetables then it is an important skill to know and understand. Good compost appears crumbly, dark, and sweet smelling. When added or mixed to the soil it helps to condition and feed it.

You may be surprised to find out that almost forty per cent of your household waste can be used to make compost. This is also good for the environment as its cuts down on the amount of trash that is taken from our homes and deposited in landfill sites. It is not difficult to make your own compost; it just takes a little knowledge and some time.

Some people say that you need a container or bin to produce compost. But you can make do with a corner of your garden that can then be covered with a plastic sheet or some wood or cardboard. Though, if you are a novice then a bin may be better suited.

Almost everything that once lived is able to be composted, but some items such as meat and cooked food should be avoided as they can attract pests. Grass cuttings and young weeds will break down quickly and help to get the compost going. Older plant matter will produce the best compost but is slow to decompose. A mixture is generally the preferred option.

To actually make the compost you just need to keep piling together dead plant matter. Smaller pieces will break down quicker. It is important to allow circulation and drainage. If the compost gets too wet you can add more dry matter and the opposite is also true. It often helps to mix up the decomposing material now and then as it will generally fall to the bottom of the pile.