Although composting can begin any time of the year, fall is an excellent time to begin with all of the fallen leaves!  Getting started is fairly simple if you keep in mind the following…

Smaller particles break down faster.  Shredding garden wastes will help speed up the process.

Turning helps aerate the pile, shifting outer contents closer to the center where it can heat and decompose more effectively.

Materials that can be composted are sod, grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw, manure, chopped corncobs, corn stalks, sawdust, shredded newspaper, wood ashes, hedge clippings and many kinds of plant refuse from the garden.

Materials to avoid composting are weeds, grease, fat, meat scraps and bones, coal ashes, diseased plants, and charcoal.