STARTING YOUR BIN

A good time to begin composting is in the fall, because fall leaves are an easy material with which to start your bin. You can start by filling the entire bin with fall leaves. If possible, stockpile leaves in bags to have on hand throughout the year to cover kitchen scraps or balance out "green" yard trimmings.

If you have more leaves than you can use for home composting, check if and when the NYC Department of Sanitation is collecting fall leaves for composting and how to properly set out your leaves for DSNY collection. Otherwise, contact your local Compost Project Site to find out if there are community gardens near you that are accepting fall leaves for compost.

You can also start your bin with shredded newspaper, or some finished compost or potting soil, which can be purchased in large quantities at many hardware stores and garden centers around the City. When DSNY collects fall leaves for composting, NYC residents can get unlimited amounts of free, finished compost at Compost Giveback events.

You will need to fill about one-third of the bin with your starter material to provide a good base medium for your compost pile.

ADD WATER

If you are starting your bin with fall leaves, it is important that you add water. Add at least 5 gallons of water to a pile the size of the one shown here. Be sure to mix the leaves as you pour to coat them evenly and soak them all with water. The leaves should glisten with moisture.

For more information on adding water, see the "beyond the basics" guide on mixing your compost.

ADD FOOD SCRAPS

Once you've started your bin with fall leaves, finished compost, or potting soil, you are ready to add food scraps.

Remember, you want to keep a balance between the materials in the "greens" list and the "browns" list.

A convenient way to store kitchen scraps so you don't have to keep running out to the compost bin is to put them in a large zip-lock bag and keep them in the freezer. This way you won't attract flies to the food scraps in the summer or generate any odors in the kitchen.

For more information on adding materials, see the "beyond the basics" guide on materials to compost—and how to add them.

COVER FOOD SCRAPS

The main thing to remember when adding food scraps is to bury them under a thin layer of finished compost or fall leaves. This will disguise the scent of the food and deter vermin. Again, if you have the space, keep a supply of bagged fall leaves throughout the year to cover food scraps.

TURN THE COMPOST PILE

In order for the microorganisms in your pile to do their work, they need water, a good mix of materials, and air. The steps above address the first two components, so let's look at how you can get air into your compost pile.

From time to time you'll need to turn your compost pile. Take a long-handled rake or shovel, or a compost crank (a specialized tool for turning compost, available at some Compost Project sites) and push it down into the center of the pile, pulling material up from the bottom to "fluff" the pile up.

People frequently ask how often to turn their compost pile. As you go along, you'll discover that much of composting is like cooking: you can follow directions up to a certain point, but then you just play it by ear. Just as a cookbook can't specify how many times to stir the soup, there isn't one correct answer to how often to stir compost. However, about once a month should be fine.

COVER THE COMPOST BIN

Make sure to replace the cover on your bin, since this will serve to keep pests out, while retaining heat and moisture. If your pile is dry and the weather forecast calls for rain, you can leave the doors on top of this model open to let the rain in. If you have a different kind of bin, you can just leave the top off while it rains.

WAIT

Making finished compost can take as little as three months, or as long as a year. When outdoor temperatures are warm, microbial activity increases, speeding up the decomposition process. In winter things slow down, but you can still add materials and occasionally turn your pile.

HARVEST YOUR COMPOST

A convenient feature of most compost bins offered by the NYC Compost Project is that they have a sliding door at the bottom, allowing easy access to finished material, which can be removed without disturbing the rest of the pile. Conduct this simple test to tell if your compost is ready to be used.

For more information, see:
• compost timing: how to tell when it's ready to use
• troubleshooting outdoor composting
• using your compost
• other ways to recycle food scraps

For a downloadable booklet on backyard composting, see the publications page.