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What are the benefits of composting?

How do I make a compost bin? What can I put on my compost? What are the benefits of composting? We answer all your questions and more.

Today, with more and more of us being environmentally aware and conscious of the need to create a greener world for future generations by recycling and reducing waste and by reducing our carbon footprint, many people are composting at home.

What is composting?

Composting is a process that decomposes organic waste (from the garden and the kitchen) naturally. Composting uses bacteria, fungi, and insects which are found in soil to break down the waste into fine particles. The resulting material can then be added to soil to support plant growth.  

What are the benefits of composting?

Environmentally friendly – as approximately 60%-70% of our household waste is organic, recycling this by composting diverts it from our landfill sites. Organic material in landfill sites, including household waste such as leftover food, vegetable peelings and even teabags, produces leachate, a black liquid which is a water contaminant. Methane gas is also produced; this greenhouse gas is 20 times more active than CFCs in contributing to global warming. By diverting waste from landfills, the number of transport lorries on the road also comes down, creating a healthier carbon footprint.

Beneficial for the garden - composting improves the soil quality in your garden by introducing nutrients and elements such as nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus and potassium. These maintain the pH balance of soils which are extremely alkaline or extremely acidic, and will be instrumental in helping your plants grow strong and healthy.  In addition to enriching the soil, compost contains micronutrients which work like pesticides but without the detrimental effect of chemical sprays on plants, thus reducing plant disease and pests. When used as a mulch, compost will also suppress the growth of weeds.

How to make a compost heap

The most efficient way to create a compost is to use a ready-made composting bin. Position the bin in a shaded area that will not be exposed to extremes of temperature or moisture, in order to provide bacteria and other microorganisms with constant conditions. Wherever possible, your composter should be sited on bare soil before you start adding your waste. This should ideally be made up of equal amounts of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) material (see below) in alternate layers. Shredding the materials you add to the composter will make it rot down more quickly. Your compost heap should be watered with a watering can in dry weather, to keep it moist but not sodden, and it should be covered to avoid the contents getting too wet when it rains. Gently turn the compost with a garden fork from time to time and your compost should be ready within 6-12 months; it will have a dark colour and a rich, earthy odour. When you start to use your home-made compost, take from the bottom of the compost pile.

What can I put in the composter?

The key to a good compost is the addition of green and brown material in equal measure.

Green waste - grass cuttings, raw vegetable peelings, fruit waste, coffee grounds, and annual weeds, houseplants

Brown waste - hedge trimmings, woodchip, straw, wood shavings, dry leaves, cardboard, newspaper, twigs.

You can also add animal fur, eggshells, teabags.

Things NOT to put in your compost heap

Cooked food

Fire ash

Feline/canine manure

Nappies

Tissues

Meat, fish, dairy products

Oil/fat

Possible problems with your compost

Common difficulties encountered when making compost include:

Wet, slimy compost that smells too strong. This has had insufficient air and too much water. Cover the heap to prevent more moisture being introduced, and add more brown waste.

Dry, fibrous matter that has barely rotted. This has had insufficient moisture and too much brown material. Try adding additional green waste or try a commercial activator or accelerator. You could also add fresh manure – one bucket for every 6” layer of compost.

Flies should not be attracted to a compost heap but if you do see flies it can mean that there is insufficient air in the heap, caused by too-high moisture levels. Also, always make sure that any kitchen waste on the compost is covered with garden waste.

At Witham Timber, our composters are manufactured from softwood that is pressure treated for protection against rot, and with a natural timber finish, the composters will blend seamlessly into any style of garden.

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