Step 6: Create the green and brown layers of the compost heap.
You begin a compost heap by creating layers of organic material. Start with a six to eight-inch layer of organic green materials like grass clippings, the rakings from weed whacking and yard trimmings. You can include all your organic kitchen scraps such as vegetable peelings, old salads, fruits and vegetables. The nitrogen in the green materials provides microbes that break down the pile into usable compost. You can even throw in coffee grounds and filters as well as dryer and vacuum lint. Add six inches of brown organic ingredients, such as dry leaves and small twigs or wood chippings from carpentry projects. These brown materials provide carbon necessary to generate fuel to break down the organic materials. Note: Small pieces break down fastest, so it’s best if leaves are shredded.
 Layer brown organic materials over the green organic materials.
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