Much of the trash that we throw away can be used to make our gardens more productive. A great New Year’s resolution is to begin to covert yard and kitchen debris into soil-enriching compost.

Many materials can be used to produce compost. Grass clippings, leaves, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable and fruit clippings, shredded paper and chopped brush are a few examples of organic matter suitable for composting. Cheese, meat scraps, fats or bones should be avoided as they may attract pests like rodents. Also, these materials are slower to decompose and may create an odor problem.

Previously: Your gardening questions answered: When is citrus fruit ready to harvest?

More: The North Florida Gardening Calendar is here

The size of a compost bin may vary but the enclosure needs to be at least 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet. It can be made from almost anything: wire, wooden pallets or cement blocks. One side should be either open or removable for ease of adding and removing materials from the bin.

A simple compost container is a wire hoop made from welded fence wire. The piece of fence wire should be long enough to make a 3-foot diameter hoop. This hoop bin is sturdy enough to stand upright on its own with no additional support.

The below link to the UF/IFAS Extension publication Compost Tips for the Home Gardener states, “To create the compost pile, layer roughly equal amounts of “green” materials and “brown” materials in alternating 3- to 4-inch tiers up to a height of about 3 feet. Smaller particles will decompose faster than larger materials. It is essential that each layer be watered as you build the pile; otherwise it is almost impossible to moisten the center of the pile once it is completed. The materials should be moist, not soggy. There is no advantage to purchasing a compost “starter,” since organic yard wastes naturally contain the microorganisms needed to start the decomposition process.”