• Regardless of whether you use a 5-cubic-foot compost heap or a 10-gallon compost bucket to process your kitchen and yard waste into nutrient-rich humus for your flowers and vegetables, the main components are the same: nitrogen, carbon, water and air.
  
  

Nitrogen-Rich Materials

• Nitrogen materials play an essential role in your compost bucket since they allow decomposing microorganisms to grow and reproduce, according to the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension. Usually green, high-nitrogen organic materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, horse or cow manure, fresh lawn clippings, coffee grounds and tea bags. Break large chunks of nitrogen-rich organic materials into smaller pieces that can easily fit in the palm of your hand to allow for a more rapid decomposition in your compost bucket.
  
  

Carbon-Rich Materials

• The University of Illinois Cooperative Extension states that carbon-rich materials provide energy for the decomposing microorganisms in your compost bucket. Common examples of high-carbon (brown) organic ingredients for your compost bucket are dried yard clippings, dead leaves, straw, old hay, newspaper and cardboard. Try to shred any large pieces of carbon materials, such as cardboard, into small pieces that are no bigger than about 2 square inches to promote oxygen flow in your compost bucket.
  
  

Water

• It's ideal to keep your compost bucket ingredients about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. When you first layer your carbon and nitrogen ingredients into your compost bucket, mist each layer lightly with water from your garden hose. Check the moisture level every two to three days to make sure it remains adequately moist. If it gets too wet, add additional carbon-rich materials to soak up the extra moisture; if it's too dry, just spray some extra water into your compost bucket.
  
  

Air

• The millions of bacteria in your compost bucket are aerobic, which means that they require the oxygen in air in order to do their work of decomposing the organic materials in your bucket. Layering your carbon and nitrogen materials in your compost bucket promotes air flow in your compost bucket, as does frequent turning of the materials as they decompose. Aim to mix the layers of organic matter at least every two to three days to provide the microorganisms with a regular supply of fresh air. Without this fresh air, the decomposing microorganisms will typically slow down, causing you to have to wait longer for finished compost.