Nothing hard about composting. you just need to have a reasonable size pile started. That is about the only requirement.
Minimum size of the pile (compost heap) should be at least a 3-4 cubic feet from my experience. My pile has been just a pile on the ground without any structures to corral it. I also tried with a Thick plastic 1/8 inch thick plastic sheet with holes in the side to corral the pile and we even have a tumbling barrel. My piles tend to be around 1-3 cubic yards. It works much faster.
If you got the money and don't care about the cost or don't have any space to just have a pile on the ground, buy one of these contraptions. I prefer just the pile on the ground. Its much easier to turn over the pile when its just free standing. I throw a tarp over it to keep the rain out. Here in pacific northwest it rains too much and it would drown out the pile.
When I lived in Southern California, I also had a freestanding pile and after about 6 month it was crawling with red wiggler worms. I didn't buy them. They just appeared. Probably the eggs were in bird droppings.
Few things about the compost piles you create.
If it stinks, its aneraobic compost. upside is that it will have more nutrient than a aerobic compost. Downside is it stinks to high heaven. Aerobic composting doesn't stink, its smell is mild and smells earthy. downside is it doesn't have as much nutrient as the anaerobic composting.
So if the pile stinks, spread it out dry it out and when its not soggy wet, reform the pile. If the pile is just sitting there and not warm, then it probably needs some water to moisten it. The pile should be moist. If its moist but still not getting warm, the pile is either too small or don't have enough nitrogen. Add chicken poo, Clean out your chicken coop of the litter and add that to the pile, add fresh green grass clipping. If you add grass clipping make sure it mix it with the pile so it doesn't mat down. Grass clipping is too fine and if it mats down, it goes into anaerobic compost and stinks.
Things you can add into the pile:
kitchen waste except meat and bones unless you don't mind racoons and other varmints visiting your pile.
natural hair such as when you brush your cat, dog, or farm animal.
any unwaxed (non-glossy paper) without any print or if its printed with soy based ink.
yard waste as long as it has no disease.
I've thrown in tree branches up to inch in diameter anything bigger and it gets chipped. leaves of trees, potted plant without the soil.
Things you do NOT put into the pile:
cat poo, cat litter, dog poo and human waste.
dead animal/bird that was sick.
If you had cut off a branch with some sort of canker don't put it into the pile. It needs to be burned.
If its from a tomato plant with powdery mildew or any disease. burn it or throw it away.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO ADD SOIL!!
Lastly if you are new to this, go to a library and check out a book on composting. Best book is by Rodale or at
amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Rodale-Bo...dp_kinw_strp_1?_encoding=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
Compost is so much better than Miracle grow or any other chemical fertilizer it is worth doing.
