Weedwhacker said:Just my opinion, but it seems to me that all of the "instructions for making compost" that are out there probably discourage more people from starting a compost pile than anything else.
Probably true! Gardeners seem to love to proselytize, or maybe it's just our enthusiasm.
We really mean "here's the way I love to do it, I bet yopu would enjoy this as much as I do" .
What we say sometimes comes across as "here's the way it has to be done".
But you're right, there are a million websites preaching specific ways to build a heap, even though "things rot no matter what you do".
Maybe a list of pluses and minuses would be more informative:
sheet composting: easiest
spot composting: hides the garbage right away
casual small heap composting: ("I enjoy this one! Everyone should do it this way!!!")
big heap that gets hot: fastest cycle time, kills some weed seeds and plant pathogens.
