What Can I Add to My Compost Pile to Make It Richer?

Greens

• The greener the substance, the better it breaks down and the richer the compost. As you prepare a salad for your family, toss the tops of peppers, tomatoes and onions into the compost container along with teabags, coffee grounds and eggshells and nut husks. Yard waste breaks down as well, but kitchen scraps produce more of the nitrogen.

Air

• Adding air to a compost piles gives it opportunity to break down and create richer compost. Place your kitchen scraps and smaller backyard trimmings into a commercial composter and spin it. For large piles, use a pitch fork to lift the compostables and move them around, creating air pockets. Master gardener Ned Conwell turns his pile once or twice a month.

Heat

• Adding heat -- 140 to 150 degrees F -- by keeping your compost barrel or pile in a sunny spot makes the scraps and trimmings break down even faster, recommends Conwell in an article on compost dos and don'ts. The heat also kills weed seeds that might get into the mix. A compost pile works best if it is at least 3 cubic feet. The larger the mound, the better the chance of healthy decomposition of the matter in the center.

Moisture

• Wet compost cannot get the air it needs to decompose the waste products, but dry compost won't decompose at all. Keep your compost moist but not soaking wet. Kitchen scraps are usually moist enough on their own to create rich compost, but adding leaves and yard waste draws moisture away, slowing the decomposition.

Additives

• Add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer whenever you mix up the scraps.