Hi Kathy, All the above answers are good ones. However--- I don't bother to try to keep it scientific. It depends on your climate, too. Cold winters will stop the decomposition. I make a circle of fencing (usually welded wire) about 4 feet across and place it in one of my wide beds. We live way out in the country so I don't have to make it pretty, but you could. I take the top of the last pile, which hasn't begun to compost yet, and put it on the bottom of the new pile. The bottom of the old pile will be nice and composted and ready to mix into the soil right where it is. It doesn't matter if it's still a little rough. Then, to the new pile I add weeds, kitchen scraps,(no meat, bones, grease or dairy products) and a shovelfull of soil once in a while. If the weather is dry I water the pile - water helps it decompose. When that ring is full I start another one. This method is SLOW but requires almost no work and I still get beautiful compost. I also plant tomatoes or melons around the base of the ring. Good composting!

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), May 08, 2000