How do you manage compost?

Compost should be maintained in three separate consecutive bins. These bins should not be tight, but should be aerated properly for the process to occur. Fresh leaves and full materials should be placed into the first bin, sufficiently chipped to facilitate the breaking down process.

After this material begins to resemble soil, but still with small chips of original material, it should be moved to the second bin. The compost in the first bin will be high in temperature, when that material is no longer steaming and hot, it should be moved to the second bin.

When this material resembles pure soil, is cold to the touch, and smells like fresh Earth, it should be moved into a third bin. This third bin will be the bin which the gardener takes from to spread as a mulch around the plants which need the nutrients, covering the weeded topsoil.