A 4-foot cube is a minimum. I have a simple wire fence circle about 8' diameter, which I fill up to nearly chest deep with all my clippings and leaves as well as those of several neighbors. I water the pile as I add to it (like a damp sponge) during the fall. It is too big to turn, so I bought a cheap pitchfork, knocked the metal part loose from the handle, and then mounted it at a 90 degree angle on one end of a 6' stripped sapling. I just plunge the fork, which is now angled like a hoe or rake, deep into the pile, and give it a small yank, thus getting air into the pile. It shrinks easily to mid-calf height during the whole year and the resulting compost is a breeze to scoop into a wheelbarrow to spread in the garden!
A 4-foot cube is a minimum. I have a simple wire fence circle about 8' diameter, which I fill up to nearly chest deep with all my clippings and leaves as well as those of several neighbors. I water the pile as I add to it (like a damp sponge) during the fall. It is too big to turn, so I bought a cheap pitchfork, knocked the metal part loose from the handle, and then mounted it at a 90 degree angle on one end of a 6' stripped sapling. I just plunge the fork, which is now angled like a hoe or rake, deep into the pile, and give it a small yank, thus getting air into the pile. It shrinks easily to mid-calf height during the whole year and the resulting compost is a breeze to scoop into a wheelbarrow to spread in the garden!