Compost is easy to make, & is an environmentally-friendly activity. The compost produced can be used in many ways which improve the garden and save money. Get the whole family on board. Show them the benefits of composting and how to look after the compost heap so that it produces good results.

Steps to producing top quality compost:

• Get a low cost compost bin
• Place the bin on level, well-drained bare earth, so the worms can get in
• Start filling the bin with waste garden and kitchen organic material
• Remember compost needs the right mix of materials, called browns and greens, to give the right carbon:nitrogen ratio.
• Browns are high in carbon & include cardboard, paper, fallen leaves, dried flowers & woody stems
• Greens are high in nitrogen & include grass cuttings, vegetable peelings, fruit waste & teabags
• Compost which does not heat up within 24 hours (to 150-160F) needs more green
• Compost with an ammonia-like smell needs more brown
• Do not compost meat, fish, bones, dairy products, cooked food, coal ash, pet litter
• Chop large items into small pieces to help speed things up
• Cover to keep the compost moist, but not wet. If it is too dry add water, if it is too wet add some dry stuff like chopped newspaper
• Aerate the compost, occasionally, by making air pockets. The insects & worms that are breaking the compost down will need the oxygen. Poke a broom handle into the compost to make an air passage, or use a garden fork. Adding scrunched up paper will keep the compost open
• Speed up the composting process by adding a handful of soil or buy a compost accelerator (young nettles will do the same job)
• The compost will be ready to use after 9-12 months. It will be dark brown, moist, sweet-smelling and crumbly. It may have some earthworms in it.
• To release the compost, lift the bin, or if it has a hatch at the bottom, open it.

Use the compost as:

• a mulch on soft fruit and herbs
• a fertiliser for feeding the vegetables
• a soil improver

Making compost is an essential part of sustainable vegetable gardening.