You don't need a compost bin to compost. In fact, your yard doesn't even need you to compost. If you let the leaves fall from the trees and just left them there, eventually they'd decompose all by themselves. But if you want to use compost in your vegetable garden or flower bed as a natural fertilizer or to improve drainage or to get one of the many other benefits of compost, you'll want a lot of it and fast. Waiting for nature isn't a very practical way to get compost. If you want your yard waste and kitchen scraps to decompose quickly, you'll need to do a few things to speed up the process.

First off you'll need a compost bin. Sure a compost bin isn't necessary to make compost but it will help make it faster. A pile of yard waste will decompose quicker if it has some depth. Four foot squared (Four feet high, four feet wide and four feet deep) is a great size to get your compost cooking.

The ratio of greens to browns is important too for quick composting. You should try to get you greens (grass clippings, kitchen scraps, coffee grinds) to browns (fallen leaves, hay, shredded newspapers) ratio somewhere close to 1:20. This ratio is also best for preventing a smelly bin.

Keep your compost wet. You don't want it soaked but you also don't want it too dry either. You're going for a slightly damp feeling. If it rains once or twice a week, then you probably won't have to add any more water.

Mix your compost. This is hard work but it's one of the best tips for making compost quickly. Get your pitch fork and just start turning the contents of your pile over at least once a week.

Compost will happen on it's own if you let it. Things will decompose and break down all by themselves. But if you follow these tips you can definitely make compost quicker than mother nature can.

When Anthony Tripodi isn’t gardening, he’s usually taking pictures of compost and writing about it on his blog, http://compostbin.blogspot.com

Source: www.articlecity.com