composting

I was going to knock a compost bin up out of old pallets. The problem is i haven't got a clue as to what i can and cant compost.

So far i have some grass clippings and weeds and was gonna start with these, good idea or not??

Also does the compost need a lid.

Cheers
Mickeyboy

My advice - bung it all in except roots of perennial weeds (e.g. bindweed, stinging nettles, creeping buttercup) which can be drowned to make liquid feed instead.

Into my compost goes:-
Veggie peelings, egg shells, egg boxes etc from kitchen
Guinea pig waste from their hutch - all of it - newspaper, sawdust, hay and poops
Grass clippings
Annual weeds
Prunings from the garden cut into bite size pieces if I get time
Veg remains from the lottie
Spent multipurpose compost from last year's tubs
Garden waste from the bungalows alongside my lottie and anything else that anyone offers me!

The more that goes in, the more compost you'll make and the better quality it'll be - you can cover it if you want, I personally don't bother except in my dalek bins which have lids anyway.