As such, their presence is important in the formation of compost.

About three or four feet of compost would be ideal.

The area should be weed free, with plenty of compost dug in.

Every year, for 10 years now, he just adds a couple inches of compost over the entire 900-square-foot plot.

Would it kill him to bring a sack of compost or a watering can?

I think there's a couple bags of compost stored there.

France has more than 100 plants, producing 800,000 tons of compost each year.

Gardeners, he said, could put a good four inches of compost down on their gardens in fall.

"But here you get 50 years worth of compost in one pile," he said.

The trouble is that no one makes much money out of compost from household waste.