What do you need for a compost heap?

Microbes will eat everything organic. The more microbes and the better the mixture of your compost "salad" the faster and the more efficient they will work for you.

HOW TO CARE FOR & MAKE COMPOST

One part green and 2 parts brown,
makes your compost turn into ground.
Add some water and some soil,
turning is the only toil.
C.R., Ray Ayer, "The Compost Guru", feel free to use with attribution

1.To make good compost you need a mixture of 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. If you mix 1 part grass with 2 parts or more of leaves that is about the right mixture. Too much grass and it will putrefy and smell. All leaves will take a year of longer to break down and will not be a "great" compost.
2. Microbes actually do the work of composting. If you take care of them with moisture and oxygen they will work their butts off for you.
3. You need to think of them as your little "pets" and keep them moist. Like a wrung out sponge. Adding a shovel full or so of soil or manure or other compost will "seed" your compost with the microbes you need. Sort of like making yogurt or sourdough.
4. You must get a compost fork and leave it in the compost pile. That way every time you add something you will naturally turn it in. Like cake batter you need to mix in the ingredients. Turning also exposes fresh material to oxygen. With out oxygen your little pets will die and stink. Turning also hides food waste that is objectionable to your neighbors, and reduces the chance of critters other than your "microbe pets" chewing them up. Do not put the garden fork in the garage! You will never turn the pile if it is not left in the pile.
You now have a PhD in compost. (Piled higher and deeper)R.A. the Compost Guru