Composting is the process that helps to speed up the breakdown or decomposing of organic matter. Microbes which include microscopic organism and worms that live in the soil are responsible for the composting of the organic materials.
Organic waste materials such as banana peels, fallen leaves, weeds and rotten vegetables and fruits are the food for these microbes and hence the more they eat these foods, the more they efficiently work. Meat should be avoided in composting because they slow down the process of composting.
Microbes need carbon and nitrogen. Paper, saw dust, wood chips, straw and leaves are high in carbon content and grass clippings and manures are high in nitrogen content. If the contents are smaller in size they decompose faster. If the surface areas where the microorganisms work are more, the materials will decompose faster. So, it is better to cut the contents of compost into smaller pieces.
Sufficient air should be made to flow through the pile of contents so that microbial growth will be more and will speed up the process of decomposition. So, the compost container has to have holes in them to facilitate air to get in.
The microbes in the contents need air to survive. If the pile of compost is turned every week or so, it speeds up decomposing. The temperature inside the compost should range between ninety to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and would be optimal. The pile of the compost must not be too small and extreme sun, wind or rain can adversely affect the process of composting.