Time to compost!

I bet you never thought you would hear such a call to action. But now that everything is growing, it needs cutting back, and what do you do with all those cuttings, you compost them of course.

11th April: Things I have been doing today.

🌻 You need to build a compost heap. Almost the first thing I did when we moved to this house was have a builder come in and construct me a twin bin compost heap (see photo). However you need not go to this expense, just start a pile somewhere out of the way in your garden. You need four things for a successful compost heap: air, water, nitrogen and carbon. Air is everywhere that is the easy one. Water is important because you have to keep the compost moist (not soaked). Nitrogen is all the green stuff you put on the heap all your grass cuttings, waste vegetables, plant cuttings and the labours of your deadheading. Carbon is the brown stuff (no pun intended) bits of wood, brown vegetables like Corn on the cob, old newspapers, napkins old packaging. If you do not have carbon then your compost will turn to green slime and smell awful.

If possible add the green stuff (nitrogen) and the brown stuff (carbon) in layers so that they stop one element dominating. Water occasionally to keep it moist and if possible cover the heap either by using a compost bin, or just throw an old bit of carpet over the top, this will help stop it drying out. Once you have got one heap going build it up for about six months then start your next. The idea of two heaps or bins is that one will be ready to use in six months to a year (depending on circumstances), whilst the other takes all the new stuff. It helps if you can turn the heap over every three months or so, but don’t worry if that’s too much, just make sure you start using the compost from the bottom of the heap.

One last word of vital advice. Never put food, oil, fat or bones etc on the compost heap as they will not compost properly and worse they attract rats and mice