FAQ > General Information > What Should I Put in my Compost Pile?
A compost pile should be layered with a combination of nitrogen based green organic material and carbon based brown organic material. You need at least one part nitrogen based material for every 25 parts carbon based material in your compost pile. Adding water and turning the pile regularly with a spading fork introduces oxygen, and speeds up the decomposition process dramatically.
Nitrogen based green materials : coffee grounds, grass clippings, green weeds, manures, seaweed, stalks, stems and leaves from crops
Carbon based brown materials : cocoa hulls, hay dry leaves, peanut hulls, peat moss, sawdust, straw, old mulch
These additional ingredients also add phosphorous, potassium, and trace minerals to your compost pile:
Eggshells, melon rinds, wood ashes, banana skins, orange peels, stale bread, apple peels, potato skins, pea pods, and tea leaves.
Last updated on November 23, 2011 by Matthew Kokenes