Composting: The process of turning organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, into nutrient-rich soil through decomposition.

Recycling: The practice of processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful resources.

Organic materials: Substances that are derived from living organisms and are biodegradable, such as leaves, fruit and vegetable peels, and coffee grounds.

How can you get good compost?

1. **Start with the Right Ingredients**: Begin your compost heap with a balanced mix of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. Green materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and coffee grounds, while brown materials include dry leaves, straw, and shredded cardboard.

Some people stockpile materials separately until they have enough to make a good pile. A well built pile will generate heat more quickly, but if you’re going to be waiting a long time to get lots of materials then just pile things in as you go. In the middle of summer you can add grass cuttings regularly along with other materials from the browns pile. Too much grass at a time goes slimey!

2. **Layering Technique**: Alternate layers of green and brown materials to create a well-balanced compost pile. Aim for a ratio of roughly 3 parts brown to 1 part green.

3. **Aeration is Key**: Ensure good airflow within the compost heap by turning it regularly. This aerates the pile and helps accelerate the decomposition process. Use a pitchfork or compost aerator to turn the pile every couple of weeks.

4. **Moisture Control**: Keep the compost heap moist, like a wrung-out sponge. If it’s too dry, decomposition slows down, and if it’s too wet, it can become anaerobic and smelly. Water the pile occasionally, especially during dry spells, but avoid overwatering.

5. **Size Matters**: Aim for a compost heap that’s at least 3 feet tall and wide. A larger pile retains heat better, which speeds up decomposition. However, make sure it’s manageable and doesn’t become too large to turn.

6. **Addition of Activators**: Consider adding compost activators like manure, compost starter, or finished compost from a previous batch. These introduce beneficial microorganisms that speed up decomposition.

Geoff Hamilton used to swear by homemade compost accelerator delivered directly to the heap.

7. **Patience is a Virtue**: Composting is a natural process that takes time. Depending on various factors such as temperature, moisture, and the mix of materials, it can take anywhere from a few months to a year for compost to mature. Be patient and consistent with maintenance.

8. **Covering the Pile**: Covering the compost heap with a tarp or a layer of straw helps retain moisture and heat, especially during colder months. This encourages microbial activity and speeds up decomposition.

9. **Avoid Certain Materials**: Avoid adding meat, dairy, or oily foods to your compost heap, as they can attract pests and create unpleasant odors. Similarly, avoid adding diseased plants or weeds that have gone to seed to prevent spreading pests and diseases.

10. **Use Compost Wisely**: Once your compost is ready, use it to enrich the soil in your allotment. Mix it into planting beds or use it as mulch around plants to improve soil structure, fertility, and moisture retention.
If your compost is not really fine then it will still make a wonderful mulch! The worms will thank you for it!

Find out more about composting here

Beginners guide to composting video – nice and short!

You can compost anything that has lived! But don’t compost meat, bones or fish at home. Send that to your local council to compost.

This video claims to make compost in four weeks.
When you watch it you realise he’s only putting a small proportion of compostable materials in with lots of other stuff – he builds a good worm environment which breaks the small amount of matter down fairly quickly.
I think the chopping he does is a good idea. I think the mixing with some real soil is useful – it’s full of bacteria and worms. And watering it with diluted urine is a good idea – it’s a great activator. All those additives – including spent mushroom compost, dried shredded seaweed, well rotted manure, worm castsm, etc etc – they’re already composted and you don’t need to add all those – you could be using those straight away and not worrying about what the worms are doing so much in your compost bin. He also says about not composting onions and citrus – which I disagree with, but it’s not the first time I’ve heard this. He says something about the worms trying to climb out of the bin because of it. Surely worms would go down through the ground rather than up?
Anyway it’s interesting to watch and might encourage you to finely chop your garden waste PLUS you get to see his secret muck heap which is amazing. I’d like to go picnic there too!

I’ve started a blog called Make Garden Compost fast. It features information about composting and my collection of photos of compost bins. Yes, it’s another strange hobby to have but I love looking at people’s compost bins and see how they’ve made them and how well their compost is doing.
If you’d like to share your photos of your compost bins with me then please do!

Di Drinkwater

I’m buying one of these for the allotment. The Compost Tumbler Dual Chamber is a dual compartment tumbler.

I have seen much more expensive versions of compost tumblers and whilst I would have loved one I have opted for this which is a much more sensible price to be paying. It’s a quarter of the price of the dearer one!

The idea is you load it up with compost and turn it every day and this speeds up the compost process. You have to ensure a good balance of compost material – balancing greens and browns is essential. And balance the wetness – adding sawdust or wood pellets to soak up excess liquid is something you can do.
The idea is that the perfect balance of materials will be turned together and this will rapidly make good compost.
I’ll let you know when it arrives!

At Amazon its £84.99 and at Argos the Tumbling comoster AID- DO NOT CHANGE is £79.99 with free delivery!

They do have a good range of compost bins at Amazon

I’ve never had a wormery but its so tempting!

The Original Wormery Deluxe Kit £89.95
The Deluxe Original Wormery Kit including an Original Wormery, Wormery stand. compost caddy, insulation jacket and composting with worms book!

The Tiger Wormery (3-Tray) Black Deluxe Kit £76.95
Our brand new, improved, multi-tray Wormery, with TIGER (worm) POWER!

The Tiger Wormery (4-Tray) Black £72.95
Our brand new, improved, multi-tray Wormery, with TIGER (worm) POWER!

The Tiger Wormery (3-Tray) Black £64.95
Our brand new, improved, multi-tray Wormery, with TIGER (worm) POWER!

The Original Wormery with Stand £59.95
Our excellent Original Wormery complete with a stand to allow easy access to the tap.

The Tiger Wormery Pet Poo Loo £57.90
The Tiger Wormery Pet Poo Loo is a great way to turn pet poo into great worm castings (compost) and a liquid fertiliser for your garden.

The Original Wormery £52.95
The Original Wormery is our best selling all-in-one Wormery and was the very first commercially available Wormery – invented nearly 20 years ago by our MD, Clive Roberts.

The Midi Wormery £42.95
The Midi Wormery is the smaller sister of our bestselling Original Wormery, and slightly larger than our Junior Wormery. The middle of our range of Wormeries, The Midi Wormery is ideal for locations where space is limited – and also fits neatly into many kitchen cupboards! The Midi Wormery operates in a similar way to both the Junior Wormery and our Original Wormery, through an internal drainage system.

Part of the York Rotters activities for Compost week – a free how to compost session – learn how to set up a comost bin, the basics and also how to compost cooked food waste.

Free compost offer in South Gloucestershire – 22,000 litres of compost to local communities and gardeners on Merlin’s assisted gardening scheme. Community groups will also be able to apply for funding for any horticultural projects they are running.

In Wales, the Isle of Anglesey County Council will be offering free compost bins at Holyhead market (13 May from 9.30am).

Other composting events
Further events will take place in Caerphilly and Carmarthenshire, with a composting session for teachers taking place at the National Botanic Garden, Llanarthne (9 May).

A number of events have been set up across Oxfordshire, with the Groundwork Oxfordshire Green Schools scheduled to visit Long Furlong Primary School in Abingdon and Freeland Primary School in Witney, where children will learn about and perform their own experiments with compost.

Volunteers from Oxfordshire’s Master Composter team are set to be very active across the county, giving a talk at Millets Farm Garden Centre, near Abingdon and assisting at Cherwell District Council’s compost giveaway.