Nothing excites a green gardener more than composting. It is the ultimate form of recycling, turning household waste such as old newspapers and vegetable peelings into valuable organic matter that will reinvigorate the soil and in turn aid the cultivation of plants. And, if you grow your own fruit or vegetables using this compost, then the whole reuse cycle is complete.

 

Such is the value of composting in terms of savings on waste disposal and benefits to agriculture that many local authorities will provide you with composting bins and help and guidance on composting. Even if you have no intention of gardening, you could seek out a local composting project that will accept your household waste, since 40 per cent of household waste could be turned into fertile soil instead of contributing to the problem of polluting landfill gases.

 

But composting does more than just save on waste-disposal costs. Garden compost improves soil structure in many ways - helping sandy soils retain water, contributing to drainage in clay soils, and inoculating the soil with healthy microbes, some of which help plants take up more nutrients from the soil and also help improve their resistance to pests and diseases. No matter what soil you have to play with, it will always benefit from compost and you can also use the compost to make up your own growing media.

 

Setting up a composting system is relatively straightforward. You can choose between buying a composting bin - preferably made from recycled plastic - or make your own by wiring together four wooden pallets and lining them with cardboard, or drilling holes in an old plastic or galvanized dustbin (trash can) if you have a spare one. Whatever your choice of container it should be covered, with either a lid or some old carpet, to keep out the rain and keep heat in. It is also best to site it near your kitchen so you have no excuse when it comes to depositing your kitchen waste on the heap.

 

Once you have allocated a site for the compost heap or bin, you are ready to embark upon what many in gardening liken to alchemy. There is no shortage of composting ‘experts’ who will be only too ready to blind you with science on their particular tried-and-tested method. However, the basic principles are simple. You need to provide food, air and water in order for billions of microbes (fungi, bacteria and so on), worms and insects to turn your waste into compost.

 

The food you add should be a mixture of high-carbon and high-nitrogen materials. Wood, paper and leaves are high in carbon but left alone would decay too slowly, and may deplete nitrogen in the soil. Grass clippings and fruit and vegetable waste, which are rich in nitrogen, break down much more easily but can create slimy, smelly compost heaps. A suitable mixture might include: dry, dead plant material such as straw, autumn leaves and wood chips - usually moistened first; fresh plant material such as green leaves, fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, tea bags and coffee grounds; and fresh horse manure (ideally from organically fed horses). You can also add newspapers in small amounts and cardboard cereal boxes.

 

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