Getting into home composting.

With the warmer weather arriving, now is a great time to start thinking about getting into composting your own household and garden waste. Fewer things are better for your plants and the environment thanks your own homemade garden compost and by following a few simple rules you can be well on your way to producing your own.

The Basics

A compost heap needs broadly needs the same ingedients as we do to be successful: food, air and water. Air is very important and often compost heaps with a high proportion of grass cuttings or peelings can become slimy and be deprived of this resource - to counter this you can add paper, cardboard, toilet rolls, egg boxes, kitchen roll. A well aerated heap with not too much water in a sunny position in your garden will heat up and breakdown quickly. You can also get air into your compost by turning it regularly with a garden fork.

Kitchen waste - Get into the habit.

Invest in a kitchen caddy and place it where you normally chop your vegetables or make your tea. You can then start to fill it with vegetable peelings, apple cores, used tea bags, coffee grounds, floor sweepings, egg shells. Avoid fish or meat waste, dairy products, oil or fat, and cat or dog litter. A medium sized caddy will probably need transferring to your compost heap once or twice a week - so once your get into the habit it shouldn't be a terrible chore.

Garden Waste

Many councils provide a garden waste collection service. This is ideal for getting rid of branches and woody stems which are difficult to break down in a normal household compost bin or heap. You can save the soft waste for your own pile.

Compost Bins

There a several types of compost bins - the most common is the plastic one piece tapering slightly towards the top with a lid. Several councils are offering subsidised composting bins - check your local council website for details. Your local DIY or garden centre will also have a range of bins. Another interesting device is a tumbler bin which takes the effort out of turning your heap. Tumbler bins like the Tumbleweed Compost Maker can make good compost quickly with regular turning.

Secure disposal of your personal documents.

With identity fraud in many peoples minds at the moment why not shred your credit card and bank statements and mix them into your compost heap - they will help to absord excess water from soft waste and boost the carbon content.

It doesn't matter if you get it wrong.

No matter how wrong you get the mix of your compost heap; if it is too wet; if there is too little air; even if you never turn it you will always end up with compost - although it may take a while. By experimenting with your mix, bin location and turning regularly you can produce your own garden compost which is personally rewarding, good for your garden and good for the environment.

Further reading:

"Composting - An Easy Household Guide" is an easy household guide which tells you everything you need to know about composting from the different containers that are available and what to put in them to how to use your compost.

"Compost" by Ken Thompson is a great introduction to composting and covers the science simply, plus it is packed with hints and tips to get you well on the road to successful composting.

1^st March 2010

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