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Top Tips for
COMPOSTING
NOWADAYS , WE ALL WANT TO DO OUR BIT TO SAVE THE PLANET . WE ’ RE BECOMING INCREASINGLY AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING OUR WASTE , OF RECYCLING , REUSING AND FINDING SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO OUR BAD HABITS . IT CAN , HOWEVER , QUICKLY BECOME OVERWHELMING WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY PUTTING THOSE THINGS INTO ACTION , AND SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED A LITTLE GUIDANCE TO HELP US ON OUR WAY . WE ’ VE PUT TOGETHER THIS TOP TIPS PAGE ON ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT COMPOSTING – THE QUICK , EASY WAY TO SAVE MONEY , RESOURCES AND TO REDUCE YOUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT . ALL YOU ’ VE GOT TO DO IS START …
Why compost ?
There are many positive reasons why introducing composting into your life will pay off and we ’ re not just talking about money . Not only will it help the piggy bank , it saves resources , and will improve your soil quality overall . Did you know that the UK alone wastes 9.52 million tonnes of food every single year ? Research has found that almost half of that waste is in fact food that could have been avoided by composting .
Soil loves compost
If you ’ re green-fingered , you ’ ll already know that compost is the solution to almost any gardening problem . From preventing plant diseases to adding valuable nutrients into the soil , compost is every farmer and gardener ’ s key supplement . All those beneficial microbes present in compost help to fertilise the soil , maintaining the correct PH levels and creating a healthy , happy environment for plants .
Healthy soil means smaller water cycles
Not only is soil great for plants , it also helps to revitalise water sources . Compost can hold up to 20 times its own weight in water . This water seeps down through the layers of the ground where it swells and contributes to the replenishment of local streams , ponds and lakes . By using plants and compost to build healthy soil , we can bring back these smaller water cycles . Looking at the bigger picture , this will also mean cleaner oceans , which is more important than ever .
No more nasty gasses
Landfills are not the right environment for compost ; waste food rots and in the process releases methane and carbon dioxide . Channeling our food waste away from landfill therefore reduces our carbon footprint and turns something that would normally be dismissed as rubbish into an incredibly valuable resource .
How to Compost
Home composting really can be as simple as creating a compost heap in a corner of your garden . But these how-to tips should definitely start you off on the right foot .
• Firstly , find the right site . Ideally , a spot that is not subject to extreme temperatures and moisture is best – consistent conditions make for the best compost . If you ’ re choosing a bin or container , position it in an area with light shade or shade and preferably away from the house or seated areas – you don ’ t want any funky smells lingering while you ’ re dining alfresco .
• Start with an earth base if you have a compost heap , otherwise for bins pop a spadeful of soil in the bottom .
• Now to gather the right ingredients ! Most vegetables , fruit , teabags and coffee will be compostable - and if you ’ re not sure just ask Google . This may come as a surprise , but you can also add in the odd piece of cardboard – toilet roll tubes , cereal boxes , even egg shells . Never compost meat or fish , and do not use it as the bin for pet waste .
• The key to good compost is balance . The RHS recommends aiming for between 25-50 % soft green materials like grass clippings , weeds and vegetable waste to feed the micro-organisms . The remainder should be your browns , such as prunings , wood chippings , paper and cardboard .
• One of the most important things when composting is to allow the air to work its magic . Start by turning the heap every week to speed up the composting process . The less air , the slower it will be . Then every month should do .
• Garden compost can take up to two years to mature , but can be ready to use at as early as six months . If you can wait though , great , mature compost will have a soft-crumbly texture and smell damp .
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