Garden Composting

What is Compost?

Compost is a nutrient rich material produced using waste products from the garden and home.

Why Bother Composting?

Every year huge volumes of household waste are sent to landfill sites, at least twenty-five percent of which could actually be recycled to form a rich compost for use in the garden. Compost dug into the soil will help to improve both fertility and structure. Alternatively it can be spread over the surface in spring where it will act as a weed suppressant in flower borders and be gradually incorporated into the soil by worms. A well maintained and easily accessible wooden compost heap can also become a valuable habitat in the wildlife garden, providing an ideal nesting site for species like grass snakes and slow worms.

If these aren’t reasons enough, home produced compost is completely free!

What Sort of Compost Bin do I Need?

A variety of plastic containers can be purchased from garden centres or through council schemes. Alternatively, it is a fairly simple process to make your own from secondhand timber and requires a minimum of carpentry expertise! Old floorboards or slats from wooden pallets are ideal for the job and should be used to construct an open square box with minimum dimensions of one metre. Three sides of the box are formed by nailing horizontal planks to uprights made from timber battens. Nail battens inside the front uprights to form a slot into which the front planks can slide to form a removable front. Nail planks at the top and bottom of the front so that the bin is stable when the front planks are not in place. Ideally, leave the base of your bin bare to allow contact with the soil and an entry point for creepy crawlies that will ‘work’ the compost.

Remember there are no rules on what makes a suitable container so experiment with whatever you have to hand.

Managing the Compost Heap?

It is worth taking some care over how material is added to the heap for the the composting process to work effectively. Aim for a good mix of both nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials intermingled in layers. It will also help if the heap is filled as quickly as possible.

All added material should be small enough to compact well but still allow some air circulation. Although the temptation is huge, do not add grass clippings in thick layers as these tend to stick together, exclude the air and lead to the formation of an unpleasant slime!

If you suspect the heap is drying out, add some water from a watering can. Keep heat in the heap by covering the top with a piece of old carpet or fit a tight wooden lid. If you can, remove the front and remix the contents once every month to six weeks which will ensure you have a uniform compost after approximately three to six months.

Finally, you can never have too many heaps. Three, as they say, is a magic number. This will allow one to be filled whilst another is busy composting, with the last containing rich compost ready for use.

 Composting Leaves

If you are lucky enough to have a plentiful supply of leaves in the garden in the autumn please don’t burn them! These can also be composted to make a rich leaf-mould loved by many plants, particularly shade-loving woodland species. If you have a large garden pop them in a discretely situated wide wire mesh bin made from wrapping chicken wire around four posts. This leaf compost can have a little topping of grass cuttings as well and the leaf mould should be ready for use in about eighteen months. To speed up the process, turn over the leaves every four months to mix soggy leaves with drier ones. Once again the secret is not to let the leaves dry out, so sprinkle some water over them to keep the composting process moving along. If you have a smaller garden, damp leaves can be placed into bin liners which should be sealed and then punctured with a few holes to allow some air circulation. Place the bags out of sight and let the leaves decompose during the following year.

Making a Worm Bin

A fun way to help recycle your kitchen waste and add a rich compost to your garden. Start by drilling holes in a large plastic bin, add some gravel to the bottom of the bin, then place a perforated plastic sheet on top of the gravel and then some manure or a pile of decomposed leaves. Finally put in a good number of worms. Small red brandling worms are the best. Your bin is ready to take the delights of your kitchen. Remember to keep a lid on to stop flies getting in and cover the waste with wet newspapers to prevent any smell escaping. Keep the contents warm, damp and protect from any cold winds or frosts. Don’t chuck everything from the kitchen in, and avoid citrus fruits, garden weeds and grass cuttings. Don’t add material in large quantities as it may generate too much heat for the worms to cope with. When the bin is full, leave for between three and five months to allow the worms to munch through the kitchen waste, then empty out the compost for use in the garden. Remember to return some of the worms to your bin to start the process off again.

A plastic drainage tap can be fitted close to base of the bin as an alternative to drilling holes – this will allow you to harvest a rich liquid plant food as the compost matures.

Peat-Free Composts

If you do buy a commercial source of compost do make sure that it is made from a renewable source such as chipped wood and bark and not from commercially extracted peat.

Organic Gardening

Organic gardening is a whole subject in itself which we couldn’t hope to cover in any detail here. We will restrict ourselves to one of the worst problems faced by the gardener, slugs and snails. Further information on organic gardening can be found by contacting the Henry Doubleday Research Association.

Slug Troubles

Encouraging frogs, toads and newts to breed in your pond is one way to make a dramatic impact on your local slug population. Various other methods are also worth experimenting with to see what works best for you. Coarse grit placed around susceptible plants will act as a physical barrier to slugs and snails, at least for a while. For pot plants, place a generous ring of vaseline around the rim – remember to take extra care when moving them around! The tried and tested method of placing beer in a sunken jam jar or pot is very effective if not the most pleasant to deal with. If none of the above appeal, a midnight stroll with a torch and a bucket on damp evenings will result in a surprising haul of the critters for you to dispose of . Whatever method you use, don’t resort to using slug pellets in desperation as these have serious consequences for the song thrushes which share our gardens. Far better to adopt a more relaxed approach and learn to live with the odd hole here and there.