Garden Composting - Requirements to build great organic soil conditioners
To maintain you compost pile you will need to turn and mix your organic materials on a fairly regular basis. The more often you turn it the faster it will decompose. The mixture should be moist but not soggy and during hot dry weather you may need to add extra water. As the decomposition process takes place the internal temperatures at the center of the pile will reach 140 to 160 degrees F. in the center. The pile should be turned over when that temperature starts to drop. By doing this you re-oxygenate the materials and the rotting process will speed up again. 
Composting is complete when there is no longer heating.
The internal temp of the decomposing material is usually enough to kill most seeds and insect eggs and diseases. Covering the pile with plastic will hold heat in and keep any rain from washing the nutrients away. The finished product is a crumbly, dark brown material that is perfect for garden and yard conditioning.

Requirements for home composting:
1. Source of organic matter. Shredded or chopped leaves will decompose faster. If you do not have a shredder you can mow the leaves up and then use the bagged chopped leaves.  This process breaks them up into much smaller pieces.

2.  Location. You compost area should be in a warm area which is protected from wind and to much direct sunlight. Heat and air are necessary for a composting but too much will cause over drying of your composting materials and slow the process.

3. Nitrogen will speed the composting process. You will find that fresh clippings, livestock manure, bloodmeal and fertilizers containing a large portion of nitrogen are good sources for additional Nitrogen.

4. Air/Oxygen. Your material will not decompose well without good airflow.
Moisture is essential for decomposition. Ideally the compost should be about as wet as a squeezed sponge. Too much water and odors are likely to occur and too dry the decomposition slows or stops altogether.
If you have the time and energy you can try fast composting. This method is more labor intensive but can produce finished compost in about 2 weeks.

Materials should be small in size.
Fresh grass clippings
Shredded leaves (about 2/3 by volume)
Kitchen scraps, these should be either chopped fine or blended.

Start with about a 2-inch layer of grass clippings (about 1/3 or a bit more for faster rotting)
Shredded leaves - 4 inch layer (about 2/3 by volume)
Add kitchen scraps.

Chop down through the materials with pitchfork to mix materials.
Add enough additional water to moisten the pile. Cover it with black plastic. On the second day repeat the chopping/turning, repeat again on the fourth day. This procedure should then be repeated every three days until the composting process is completed.  During warm dry weather you may need to add some additional water midway through the composting cycle due to drying of the compost