Composting at home is a means of returning to the soil as humus a great amount of organic material that would otherwise be thrown away. The best way to make a compost pile is to sandwich vegetable matter between layers of nitrogen-enriched soil. Composting at home is simple and easy to do; we just have to remember to do it.

Given adequate air and water, a well made compost pile will reduce such potential garbage as leaves, lawn clippings, raw kitchen wastes, coffee grounds, even vacuum-cleaner lint, sawdust and well-soaked newspaper to usable humus in a matter of months. There are limits however.

Do not put woody material on the pile if you want quick results. Also avoid cooked food scraps and anything containing grease, as well as diseased plants, the roots of perennial weeds, and seeds of annual weeds.

If you have the room, you can build an open compost pile in a hidden corner of the garden. You want to start with a 1-foot-thick layer of grass clippings, hay, or leaves laid out in a square shape at least 5 feet to a side. Tread it down and water well. You can sprinkle on a handful of ammonium sulfate, if your soil is alkaline, or sodium nitrate, if an acidy soil, or add a 1-inch-thick layer of manure. Cover all this with a 2-inch layer of soil.

Continue to build your compost pile gradually, adding vegetable waste as it becomes available. Tread down and water each 8- to 12-inch layer, and cover with enriched soil, until the pile is 5-7 feet high. Make the top of the pile slightly concave to catch rainwater. Cover the finished compost pile with a 6-inch layer of soil. Water well and keep the pile moist but not soggy; in a dry summer it should be watered every two weeks or so.

You can also buy a ready-made compost bin, which come in various sizes, or if you are handy, you can make your own from wire mesh or wooden slats. If one side of the compost bin is removable, it gives easy access to the compost. A solid trash can or compost bin with solid sides is not a good idea, as air circulation is necessary to bacteria that break down the vegetable matter.

When the compost is ready to use, it will be black or dark brown, crumbly, and sweet smelling. This should take about three months in the summer but longer during the winter. Dig it into the soil as you would manure, or spread it thickly around trees, shrubs, and perennials. When you do composting at home in an area with small yard, it would be best to place your compost pile in a compost bin with a cover that is fully aerated.