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Composting is not just a big garden thing. We can all do it
– convert our kitchen and garden waste, and a lot more
besides, into usable compost – and there is a method to suit
everyone. Worm
composters, primarily developed for tiny households
with mostly kitchen vegetable waste, have now been scaled up to
cope with much larger loads. For the energetic there are
various tumbler  systems.
I personally favour aesthetically-pleasing slatted wooden bins
but most recently have acquired efficient plastic compost
bins that, kept tightly shut and (most
importantly) their contents stirred
regularly, produce lovely crumbly compost in only a few
months.
Where should they be sited in the
garden?
 Most compost systems
(with the exception of wormeries and tumbling compost
bins) definitely need to be in contact with the
ground. But even if you have to stand bins on weed-smothering
membrane or expanded
metal mesh (to keep out invasive tree or hedge
roots and rodents respectively) you will find that beneficial
earthworms, woodlice and other major players will find their way
into the decaying mass. Covered wooden hoppers retain the
heat well (an important part of the composting process) and can be
hidden away in a dark corner if required, while plastic bins
work faster if they get the benefit of sun for part of the day.
What can go in to a conventional
bin and how does it all work?
 Success depends on heat,
biology and a good balance of ingredients, added in approximately
10cm. layers. ‘Green’ waste (grass, border and
hedge trimmings, snipped or
shredded woody prunings) heats up steamily,
starts to break down rapidly and can be stirred into layers below
to speed everything up. ‘Brown’ waste (e.g.
shredded paper, packaging and straw) should be
added at regular intervals to counteract the wetness of the
greenery and will rot down too. Manure from herbivores
(chickens, pet rabbits) adds zest to the whole mixture, as does the
odd spadeful
of soil.
 Autumn leaves are best
composted on their own in hessian
bags or cages, since they rot down more slowly and in
a different way.
What shouldn’t go
in?
- Moss (which refuses to rot and can therefore be unwittingly
spread around)
Seeding weeds or garden thugs (i.e. Verbascums, Fennel)
- Roots of perennial weeds such as ground elder and bindweed
– unless they are thoroughly dried off in the sun first.
- Cat and dog (i.e. carnivore) manure.
- Meat or cheese kitchen scraps or vegetable waste that has been
contaminated by them.
Common
problems
Too dry? Water the heap and/or add more
greenery and cover it tightly to keep the heat in.
Smelly? Add more ‘brown’
ingredients, but no grass clippings or kitchen waste for a
while. Stir the contents to open it up. Leave the lid
off.
Rats? This is a tricky one - they may try to
move in if there is a regular source of food nearby (i.e. a bird
table or poultry house).
Slugs and snails? No problem. They
are doing their bit for the composting process, and at least it
keeps them away from your lettuces and hostas.
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