A good question. We will wait for the experts.

lilacs of may - I agree w/the "need more greens" opinions above (which is not to say that I disagree w/the "need more water" opinions - I just don't have an opinion about the water thing b/c my bin is in a container & I tend to have too much moisture more often than not). The way you described it - 1 thin green, 1 thick brown of mostly leaves - seems like it would take a real long time to decompose. I've noticed leaves in my bin take a long time, which I didn't expect. But, my bin takes a short time to decompose when I've used mostly garden/kitchen waste, intense greens (such as UCG/dried blood/alfalfa), and some browns such as (leaves/paper towels/napkins/shredded moistened cardboard) - IF I turn it ALOT (again it's in a bin so this might not be as crucial to your formula). Plus, I also find that we each have a preferred "formula" for our individual systems, lifestyles & area of the country. I've added below a link to my list of 201 Compost Ingredients, if you want to brainstorm about more "greens." BTW, we just got our first Starbucks (10 min away) - prior to that the nearest starbucks was 1 hour away & that was just in a bookstore. I am already collecting from a local coffee shop (actually, they were new about 2 yrs ago - pre-local-Starbucks - and I told them about Starbucks' habit of bagging & offering UCG for peoples' gardens & so now they're doing it! yippee!). And, actually, most of the UCG I gather go directly onto soil (under the store-bought pine/other bark/shredded mulch) or onto the grass. So, do it again this year & keep experimenting to see what works! polly in IL - that is BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for the pix! All the Best, Tree Here is a link that might be useful: 201 Compost ingredients

It might even work better to put your pile in a shady place - it wouldn't dry out quite as fast. Of course, you still have to deal with roots from whatever is making the shade. If you're the sort who turns the pile frequently, you could lay down several layers of cardboard and put the pile on top of that. Then when you turn, put down more cardboard and turn onto it (folding the old stuff into the pile) and so forth. Never give the roots a chance to make it through the cardboard. If you prefer a more hands-off approach, you could make a floor of pavers or concrete or a sheet of metal or heavy plastic, and put the pile on that. Or you can do what I do, which is to swear at the roots as I rip them out when I get around to turning the pile, shake the compost off them, and throw them into the new batch to become "greens". It all depends on how much work you want to put into it.

Only humans do 'composting'. This is a very narrow interpretation of composting and I believe it IS splitting hairs :-). 'Compost' (the noun) is broadly defined as "organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment" and 'composting' itself (the verb) as "nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Anything that was once living will decompose. Basically, backyard composting is an acceleration of the same process nature uses. By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients back into the soil in order for the cycle of life to continue. Finished compost looks like soil–dark brown, crumbly and smells like a forest floor." Does nature 'compost'?