The guide

Our soils are low in organic matter, so composting your yard and kitchen waste makes the single best amendment for alkaline clay - for free.

• Balance "browns" (dry leaves, straw, woody trimmings) with "greens" (grass clippings, kitchen scraps) for a carbon-rich mix.
• Keep the pile about as moist as a wrung-out sponge and turn it to add air - heat and turning speed up finished compost.
• In our dry climate, water the pile and consider an enclosed bin to hold moisture; site it in part shade.
• Do not compost meat, dairy, pet waste, or diseased or weedy/seedy material.
• Work finished compost into beds and topdress lawns; use coarse wood mulch on the surface to cut evaporation and feed the soil.