Composting
Why compost matters
Making compost is a tidy way of encouraging the natural process of decay. It allows the minerals
taken from the soil by plants to be returned. Compost also improves the structure of the soil, making
it more open and easier to dig, and helping it to hold on to water, so it’s available when plants need
it.
Compost bins
Plant material will rot down perfectly well if it is just piled up in a heap, and this is what parks and
other large gardens usually do. In smaller gardens it’s tidier to use a bin of some sort. Plastic bins
work well for small amounts. Wooden bins are better for larger amounts.
What to compost
Anything of plant or animal origin will eventually decompose, but not everything is suitable for a
compost heap. Wool or cotton cloth for example will rot down, but may do so very slowly.
Things to include:
raw fruit and vegetable waste from kitchen or garden
lawn mowings, soft shrub prunings and hedge cuttings unless prickly
annual weeds before they flower (to avoid spreading seeds)
leafy garden waste eg potato or pea plants after harvest, dead flowers
shredded paper or card
tea bags, coffee grounds
bedding and droppings from vegetarian animals eg rabbits, horses
Things to leave out:
cooked food, meat scraps (can attract vermin)
droppings cats and dogs (can spread disease)
perennial weed roots (can resprout when compost used)
diseased plant material (could spread disease to other plants)
thick woody stems (break down too slowly, unless you can shred them)
prickly leaves and stems (make compost unpleasant to handle)
Compost tips
1. If possible, stand your bin on open soil, so micro-organisms and minibeasts can get into the heap
easily. If not, add half a bucket of compost from another bin to start you off.
2. Add a mixture of materials in layers no more than 10cm deep.
3. If the compost is dry and not rotting, add something wet like grass clippings, or water it.
4. If the compost is slimy and smelly, add something dry like shredded paper or straw
5. To speed up the composting process empty the bin, mix all the ingredients up, then put them
back.
6. Once the bin is full, cover with plastic or old carpet, leave to rot, and start a new bin
7. Compost is ready to use when it’s dark and crumbly, and the original ingredients cannot be seen.