The best place to start for information would be the Composting forum here. I linked it for you below. Be sure to check out all the great FAQs they have there as they cover all the basic beginner info for you.

Dave

PS: no you don't have wash the egg shells first

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web Composting Forum

Thanks so much Dave!

There are people in this forum who do both #1 and #2 in their compost pile. That should clue you on the amount of scrubbing that is (or is not) needed.

My recipe:

I start with a load from the local dairy farmer as my base (cow poop)

Then I just add anything & everything from eggshells (including the box) to fallen leaves to cereal boxes. Obviously adding anything from the kitchen (veggie) scraps.

-I don't add meat or grease.
-Birds get all my bread leavings.
-I don't add dairy products.
-I do add weeds. (You'll see varying opinions on this, but frankly, I will never NOT have weeds, so in they go. But I cringe when I have to add "gone to seed" ones. Oh, well. Such is life.)

I have had great success just picking a spot (the one I have now is a raised bed) and just burying the compost, no need to balance it out or layer it, just dig a whole and put it in and cover it over...It gets eaten and is gone I rotate around the bed so as not to disturb more recent deposits. Dont know if it's the right way to do it, but it works for me so far.

One of the easiest composters is a worm bin. You can use your egg shells best there. I do several types of composting from easy to - more work.

Build a worm 2-story bin - using a couple of plastic totes - (Home Depot?). Heat an ice pick and make 16 or so holes in the bottoms for drainage. Then add shredded newspaper as bedding in the top bin. Buy some red fishing worms to inhabit the bins.

They love coffee grounds, egg shells, any veggie, fruit rinds. I know some folks who even get coffee grounds from Starbucks, etc. Tea bags are OK, but as other posters note - forget the oils, meats, cheese, grease - it will attract ants.

Larger bins of this type are also good for folks who have orchards with dropping fruit - as it can help prevent fruit fly infestations. I have a large box that catches all of my orange or citrus droppings.

The worms will digest all of this material, including paper, and leave worm castings - that can be added in and around your plants. I personally use it for my fruit trees mainly.

Another easy composting method is leaves and grass - just pile them up - a nice 2 foot pile heats up nicely. I cover mine with a black tarp, after watering well, as it helps to get it "cooking" - then turn it whenever you think about it, and it will break down into nice black compost in short order.

For heavy duty composting - it is nice to have a good sturdy shredder. Unfortunately, they are expensive, but with my large yard, I try to compost almost everything that grows if possible - except Bermuda grass. My shredder will grind up heavy prunings from trees, etc., up to an inch thick if I want, and makes a nice "mash" that breaks down easily. One of the best combinations is dry bamboo leaves and other green fleshy material - make a good combo. It only takes a month or so to break down when it is ground up that fine.

Soo - visit the compost forum for other good ideas, but whatever you do "start your pile" and good luck.

Bejay