I'd mix in more greens if you want to get the pile cooking. Otherwise just letting it set will give the same results, but after a longer period of time.

The bacteria that will digest what you have need 3 things to function, Nitrogen (protein), moisture, and air. So you need to get a nitrogen source mixed in and that material needs to be just slightly moistened, not dampened or wetted, about as wet as a well wrung out sponge. Too much moisture in the mix will exclude the air which the bacteria also need.

Gotcha. Thanks for the guidance. More greens it is.

I made a sifter out of a piece of 1/4" mesh hardware cloth and some scrap wood. It is the right size for mulch material I cover my seeds with.

Or you could try having more than one bin (I've got eight), and try to have at least one hot bin with small pieces. Nothing better than fresh cut grass/coffee grounds and finely shredded dry leaves to start with. Once the heat comes I add the kitchen scraps, manure, fish parts, etc.

In the past we've only had one compost bin and late every spring DH would remove the fresh nondecomposed stuff on top and remove the dark decomposed stuff at the bottom. The top stuff then went back in the bin to be added to and the "done" or almost done stuff was put on the garden. Keep it simple is our mantra. LOL

I'm complicating things this year as I have put in my "order" for 2 more bins. Luckily DH is "getting into" this composting thing also.

Joanna, in your climate you definitely will have decomposed compost every year from one bin but more than one is easier and less work once set up.

Last spring, I added a bunch of nitrogen-stuff (grass clippings & dried blood) to get my post-winter stagnant barrel-enclosed compost bin to get heated up.

This year, I decided not to struggle. I'm dumping out the half-decomposed stuff (along w/the fully decomposed compost on the bottom of the bin) - into a new flower bed I'm making. Then, I'm adding a bunch of alfalfa pellets on top (then mulch). It'll be very HAPPY by the time I plant in late May (our safe date in 6a in NW NJ).

I'll start a new batch in the barrel-bin on Sunday :)

All the Best,
Tree

I've started adding greens in the top layers to get it going again. I may start a new, hotter bin this year for quicker turnover, since the stick-heavy bins are going to take a while, apparently. I don't have a whole lot of room for more than that, and unfortunately have more twigs, sticks and branches to dispose of than I have space to adequately compost it all.

I like to keep it simple, but I think I've been keeping it a little TOO simple-- this forum has been a huge help to me in figuring this all out.