Add a watering can of water if it's dry. This will to allow bacteria to develop, aiding it the breaking down of the waste matter.
Repeat the above three steps until the heap is full, then cover for a year.
Stuff you can add to a heap includes: Tea bags, coffee granules, food waste, garden waste, chicken manure, straw, hay, horse manure, sheep manure. Don't add meat waste unless you want to attract rats to the heap.
Your Compost heap may need turning every few months. It's best if you do turn it after six months as this re-introduces air into the mix which will result in new bacterial growth and aerobic activity.
The above process is generally known as a COLD heap- in that the heat generated is minimal and takes quite some time to rot down the waste. A Hot heap by comparison is where the compost heap is built up in one go and then sealed over the top with a tarpaulin. This method, resulting in aerobic activity throughout the entire heap will cause steam to rise from your waste, literally cooking seeds and perennial weed roots, breaking them down at the cellular level. The result is that Compost is generated in six to nine months, with little risk of contamination from foreign seeds. |

A Plastic compost Bin. Ideal if you need to move it once in a while or don't have the sapce to build a bin. |