Getting started with Home Composting

Getting started with Home Composting

Did you know that up to a third of the rubbish we throw away could be recycled back into our gardens? Ever thought that a potato peeling and a few soggy leaves could effectively turn into a beautiful rose? Well it can.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling and it’s important because it is one of the few ways in which organic waste can be diverted from landfill. Composting involves the decomposition of organic matter such as garden waste and uncooked kitchen waste to form a dark brown soil-like material which is rich in plant nutrients.

Not only are grass cuttings and hedge trimmings good for the compost bin, but fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, teabags, paper towels, cardboard, envelopes and coffee grounds can all be easily composted at home.

Then follow the top tips below on getting started!

For the best results from your compost bin, it should be positioned in a sunny spot on well drained soil.

• Compost can take 6-12 months to fully mature, so spring is the ideal time to compost – ready for next year’s spring and summer blooms!
• Compost bins need two types of materials, what’s known in the compost world as greens and browns.
• Green materials include grass clippings and fruit and vegetable peelings. Brown materials are items like hedge trimmings, cardboard and paper - see the table below. Make sure you use equal amounts of green and brown materials to make good compost.
• Mixing the contents now and again with a fork or broom handle will also add air and help the rotting process.
• Cut down on your trips to the garden by keeping a kitchen caddy (a small kitchen bin with a lid) to collect your kitchen waste.
• Too many leaves in a compost bin will slow the process. Collected leaves make great compost of their own. Simply put into black plastic bags, add water, make some holes in the bag and leave behind the shed for at least a year. The leaf mould produced is an excellent peat substitute and can be used as a mulch or soil improver.
• If your compost bin has a lid then make sure it is on. If not then cover it with a plastic sheet or old carpet
• Your compost is ready for use when the material does not resemble anything that you put in the bin. Collect the compost from the small hatch at the bottom of the bin. The compost can then be spread on the garden where it will act as a fertiliser.

Green Waste	Brown Waste	Waste which cannot be composted
Uncooked fruit and vegetables and their peelings	Paper towels and napkins (but not those that have been used to mop up anything containing meat such as gravy)	Glossy paper and magazines
Teabags	Scrunched up cardboard	Cooked food
Ground coffee	Dry leaves and twigs	Dairy products
Grass cuttings	Non-recyclable paper	Meat, fish or bones
Soft prunings	Straw and hay	Pet faeces and litter
Old bedding plants	Saw dust and wood chippings - sparingly	Fats and oils
Cut flowers	Corn cobs and stalks	Weeds that have gone to seed
Annual weeds	Eggshells – these will still be visible in finished compost, but add calcium to your soil	Stale bread