Making your own compost in your backyard by using garden and household waste, is one of the best things any gardener can do. Backyard composting is a very basic process.  You can simply toss grass clippings, leaves and kitchen waste on a heap and let nature do the rest in its own good time. Compost (sometimes called “black gold”) uses nature's own recycling system.	Up to half of the garbage we throw away each day can be turned into compost.   Watch how leaves that fall off during Autumn, quickly turn into fine humus if left there to rot. Backyard composting will reduce the amount of waste you create in your yard and kitchen by converting it into a useable soil amendment.
Ingredients for a compost pile
Like any recipe, you'll get the best results if you use the right mix of ingredients to make your compost pile.   The key materials are:
Nitrogen-rich "greens". Greens provide nitrogen, and act as a source of protein for the micro-organisms that work in your compost pile.  These micro-organisms are very tiny little animals that can hardly be seen.  You can watch how they work under the lens of a microscope.	Carbon-rich "browns". Browns are a source of carbon, and provide energy for the micro-organisms in your compost pile.
Water Water allows the micro-organisms in your compost pile to grow and travel in the pile to decompose the material.	Air Turning your pile each week with a garden fork will provide air to help decomposition and control odours.
	Green matter gives nitrogen to the compost pile.   The green matter should consist of a mixture of bonemeal, coffee grounds, eggshells, feathers, flowers, fresh grass clippings, fruit and fruit peels, manure, tea leaves, vegetables and vegetable peelings and weeds that have not yet gone to seed
Eggshells are a good source of calcium and are an excellent food source for earthworms. Banana skins decompose rapidly and are loaded with plant nutrients.  It will also help to speed up decomposition.	Feathers are very high in nitrogen. Toadstools will decompose very quickly and is an excellent source of many minerals.
Brown matter are high in carbon.   The brown matter should consist of woody materials, such as shredded coffee filters, corn cobs, corn stalks, dry grass clippings, dry leaves, hay, peat moss, pine needles, sawdust, shredded newspaper, straw, tea bags, twigs, wood chips and wood ash.  Wood ash is a good plant food and can be sprinkled occasionally onto the compost pile and only in small quantities.
	The following materials should not be added to a compost heap: toilet waste, pet waste (or dung), diseased animal carcasses, meat scraps, fish, dairy products, fats or oils; glossy paper such as magazines; insect infested or diseased plants, and weeds with mature seeds.
	Materials such as metals, iron, glass and plastic are not organic matter. They do not decompose in the ground and should therefore not be placed in a compost hole or pile. Do not use glossy or coloured paper as it contains chemicals.   Annual weeds may be added to the compost pile, but not if they have already made seeds.   Perennial weeds should be destroyed and NOT added to the compost pile.
Fresh manure will activate the pile and cause it to decompose more quickly. But: Never use dog or cat manure because it may carry disease organisms.
Use a few glass jars or the bottom part of a few 2 litre plastic cooldrink bottles. Put one piece of the following separately in each of the bottles: some vegetable peelings, an apple core, a scrap of newspaper, a leaf and a piece of plastic. Also try it with a banana skin. Put the samples to the side of the jar so that you can see it. Fill the jars with ordinary soil. The soil must cover the samples. Water every day just to keep the soil moist. Don't let it dry out.  Watch what happens in each jar.      Let the children note which of the samples changed faster than the others.      Which of the samples disappeared completely?      And what happened to the piece of plastic?
Building a compost system
Now that you know what the ingredients for a compost pile are, you can start to implement your knowledge and start building your own compost system.   Although you can start making compost right through the year, a very good time to start with a compost garden is during Autumn when lots of leaves and other dry material are available.	A compost pile has the following basic needs to be effective: Food:    Carbon and Nitrogen (or browns and greens) Water:   It must always be moist Air:         Oxygen Volume:       About 1 m long × 1 m wide × 1 m high Particle size:      Less than 5-7 cm
You can make compost by using the “cold” or “hot” method:
Cold composting:
Cold composting is slow but it's easy. To make compost by using the “cold” method, you just add to the pile whatever materials you have available.  Small households may gather organic matter too slowly to build a compost pile all at once and the cold method will then be best for them. Almost anything that once lived can be added to the pile.  But remember the list of things that must not go into the pile. Cover the pile with a thin layer of soil because the decomposting work will be done by the thousands of micro-organisms that live naturally in the soil. You need not turn the cold compost pile at all, but the decomposition process will take longer. A cold compost pile will take about six months to a year to be ready for use.
Hot composting:
A hot compost (or active) pile, on the other hand, requires careful management. It works best when a lot of matter is added at once.   If you want your yard to keep looking neat, you can build any simple container in which to put your garden waste.  Make use of timber, concrete blocks, bricks, logs, or by using some chicken wire to make a round or square holder.  Three of the sides must be fixed together, but the front of the bin will have to be removed when you want to turn the pile. The compost pile or bin should be located close to your vegetable garden, but not too close to your neighbour's house where it might offend them. If you have a fence around your house, use one of the corners of the yard to build your compost pile. Put the pile or bin in partial sunlight and away from winds that could dry it out.  Sunlight will help to heat up the pile.
If you do not have enough organic matter to build the pile up at once, you can prepare it in layers until the pile is about 1 metre square or round and 1 metre high. A smaller pile won't generate enough heat to start the decomposting process. Compost needs air from underneath. Therefore, start with a 20 cm (two handwidths) of coarse matter on top of the soil. These coarse material can be any of the following:  shredded branches, corn stalks, vines, plant cuttings and twigs. It must be placed on top of the soil to let air circulate under the base of the pile.   Tread down.   Chop or shred as much of the materials as possible. The finer the pieces, the faster your compost will be finished.	Particle size should be about 5-7 cm (or four fingers) long.
Next add a layer of 20 cm (two handwidths) of nitrogen-rich “green” matter such as fresh grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps. Grass clippings should be damp when added to the pile.
Add a 10 cm (one handwidth) layer of cow, horse, pig, rabbit or poultry manure to each layer of compost.
Fresh animal manure is high in nitrogen and will speed up the rotting of the compost.	Bird or chicken manure is high in potassium.
Mix some wood ash and soil and add a layer of about 3 cm (2 fingers) on top of the manure.
You can also add a layer of shredded newspaper, but first wet it thoroughly.
Continue to make these layers until the heap is about one metre high. Finish the layers off with a thin layer of garden soil. The soil contains micro-organisms that are needed to break down the organic matter and will also reduce the possibility of odours.
Give each layer a good soaking of water. Thereafter the pile must only be kept moist, and not soaked. Dishwater that doesn't contain grease or chemical cleansers can be used to wet the pile.	Put one or two sharp sticks in the middle of the pile to help you test the heat and moisture content.  This will also aerate the heap at the same time. Put old fertiliser bags or plastic over the heap to retain moisture and heat.
Key points to remember:
Use equal amounts of “greens” and “browns”. Mix together a variety of ingredients. Chop all large ingredients. Build the pile large enough to retain heat. Turn the pile regularly to let in air. Keep the pile as moist as a damp sponge.