Hello and welcome to composting. Did you read the intro to composting in the FAQ section? If you have really invasive weeds under your compost bin, dig them out. For example, quack grass doesn't smother easily. I would put a few layers of cardboard down under the compost bin. You definitely DO NOT want any plastic or artificial fabric that you will then be picking out of your compost for years to come. A couple layers of cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper is good because it will smother weeds, but compost itself in a year or so.

It isn't too cold to start composting. Cold will slow down composting, but no time to start like right now when you are thinking about it. Any plant material is good in compost, coffee filters are fine as long as they are paper.

Many of us scrounge things to bring home and compost, to get more end product. I bring home old produce from a local weekend market and other people's leaves. Also horse manure, that mostly goes into my lasagna beds but a little gets flung in the compost. Grass and weed clippings are typical, and some people without many trees put in shredded paper as a brown component. We also add the small trees and branches which have been run through our chipper shredder.

Marcia

I agree with everything Marcia said. The only thing I can add is: even if you live where you don't have to worry about raccoons or possums, I would try and cover your kitchen scraps with something. Shredded leaves, shredded newspaper, shredded paper sacks or even shredded junk mail. If you don't cover the kitchen waste, little animals will come calling.

Val

Good info so far.

need basic instructions on what to do.

Then the best place to start is with all the FAQs here. I linked them below for your convenience.

Then as time allows, browse through the many discussions here. Even the ones on the first page will answer most of your questions.

Marcia gave you great advice on what to lay on the ground under the bins. As to what to add - anything that once was alive or is made of things that were alive (like the coffee filters).

I have started keeping coffee grounds and fruit and veggie scraps

You will need to mix some carbon sources (what are called "browns") to all of those - papers, leaves, straw, shredded cardboard, etc.

Bin composting requires a wide diversity of ingredients, not just kitchen scraps so if kitchen scraps like those in your list is all you plan to compost then you'll find that Vermicomposting will work much better for you.

Good luck.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Composting FAQs

The best time to start composting is right now.

I wouldn't bother clearing out anything under the pile, it will get smothered.

Seeing how your wonderful husband has already built bins, all you need to do is to start putting stuff in them.

You want to put a mixture of stuff in the bins, some browns and some greens. A good rule of thumb is parts brown to one part green, but its only rule of thumb and most people just toss in what they have on hand, when its ready for tossing.

The primary component to my piles are shredded junk mail for browns and kitchen scraps for greens.

The best tip you can use when composting is to make sure that your green stuff is covered with a thick layer of browns.

Toss in the coffee filters. I compost hundreds - no thousands - of those every year. They are a brown. And just so you know, the coffee is a green since it's a source of nitrogen for your pile even though the colour is brown. (I'm just pointing that out because I thought it was a 'brown' due to it's colour when I first started composting seriously.)

The racoons and squirrels can get into my compost from the top, but I usually make sure the front is covered/gated so the dogs can't get in. Having said that, I forgot to gate one two days ago. Milo, the neighbour's Black Lab got into it when he came to play with my Lab, and tonight I discovered they had to take him to the vet. They didn't know about him getting in my compost and he had something like toxic shock, but he's going to be OK with meds. I told the neighbour he got into my compost. :O( My Lab has been trained not to do so. Even at that, I won't be forgetting to gate the front so her playmate stays well.

They didn't know about him getting in my compost and he had something like toxic shock, but he's going to be OK with meds.

What the heck is in your compost, lady!? I know a lab will eat anything and I can see how he might get a tummy ache....but, toxic shock! Holy Moly! Glad to hear he's going to be okay.

Val

My dog who swells up after eating anything slightly offish (waterlogged mice, other very dead things) has eaten rank compost her whole like and never raised an eyebrow. No offense, but your neighbor's dog must be a wuss.
Again, no offense.

No need to clear the "weeds", and I only have problems witrh quack grass growing into my compost piles from the outside. No need to lay down some plastic or landscape fabric either. Add to your compost anything that once grew, plant material and food waste, the greater the variety the better.
The link below goes to a very good composting tutorial.

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida on line composting

Thanks for all the great info!

I have a question. Excuse my ignorance but what is a lasagna bed? I have seen that term several times here.

Just FYI we have plenty of critters around. Unfortunately the only dogs we have for critter control are the ones passing through during hunting season!

We also have an abundance of trees so leaves won't be a problem. Have no grass though. No lawn yet.

Hi digginforu2, try http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cottage/msg0823554522633.html
or in the "search" box above, enter "lasagna bed".
Don't feel bad, 2 weeks ago I didn't know that either.

A Lasagna Bed is a creation you make by piling up lots of organic matter and then planting in it. The link below is a good source of information about Lasagna gardening.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lasagna Gardening 101