Many Allotmenteers make their own bins bigger and cheaper, but not so convenient. A good size is about 1m x1m x1m. Anything smaller does not work the best as it does not generate enough heat to keep the process progressing quickly.

Place your composter on to well-drained soil and if possible in a sunny spot. Loosen soil beneath the compost bin in order to help drainage and to make it easier for worms and bacteria to enter the bin from the earth surrounding it. If you place a few inches of manure or kitchen waste onto the loose earth this will help to attract worms and micro-organisms.

A good mix of waste material in your composter to aid decomposition is essential. Add the different types of material in layers - approximately 3" to 6" deep. Get yourself a kitchen bin to collect scraps and add these to the compost bin each time you go to the plot.

What can you compost?

Vegetable and fruit peelings. They are high in essential nitrogen and carbon.
Evergreen clippings. These take a long time to decompose and should be added to only in small amounts.
Tea leaves, coffee grounds and crushed egg shells.
Leaves. These contain lignin and take a long time to decompose, the same as wood. Best dealt with separately in leaf mould piles.
Annual Weeds. The compost temperature should rise to about 66oC/150oF, which kills off most weed seeds and diseases. Never attempt to compost pernicious weeds such as couch grass, bindweed or creeping buttercup. They simply love compost heaps and will keep on growing.
Pruning. Add only in small amounts and chop up well.
Grass cuttings. High in nitrogen and a good activator. Avoid thick layers as they can compact and turn to slime. If you have a lot of grass mix it with more woody and kitchen material.
Straw and hay. Old and chopped is best. Soak well before adding if dry.

Things to Avoid!

Disposable nappies and used paper hankies (in case the pathogens which carry out disease aren't all destroyed by the composting process).
Excrement - human/cat/dog (for the same reason).
Brightly coloured shiny card or paper printed with coloured inks.
Hard objects, stones, bits of glass, metal, plastic.
Cleaning fluids and other household/garden chemicals.
Meat (cooked or raw) - the smell can attract animals.

Getting the Best Result

The micro-organisms in your composter will work at their best when the material is kept warm, moist and oxygenated.

Activators: Natural activators include: Grass, nettles, pond weed, seaweed, urine, horse, cow, sheep, pig and pigeon manure and rabbit or guinea pig droppings. Activators or accelerators, although not absolutely necessary, heat up and speed up the composting process. Particularly useful during the colder winter months. You can buy a range of activators from your Garden Centre, which give your compost a heavy dose of nitrogen. These include blood and bone meal, nitro-chalk and sulphate of ammonia. Contact your local Garden Centre for further information.

Warmth and moisture: Always keep the lid on your compost bin; it retains heat and moisture when the weather us dry and protects it when it rains. Because you need a fairly high temperature inside your composter site it out of the wind. Site your composter in sunlight if possible. The plastic will absorb the UV rays and heat up the compost. Do not let the compost dry out. Add water when necessary in very dry hot weather. Remember to keep the lid on. You could insulate your composter using old carpet on top or by bubble wrapping.

Aeration: Plastic composters are designed so that sufficient air gets to the composting micro-organisms. Regular turning of the material will ensure that air gets to the centre of the bin and will speed up decomposition. To help aerate your heap you can add scrunched up newspaper, which creates air pockets. The paper will decompose. Avoid using too must grass alone.

Using Your Compost

The compost is ready when it doesn't look like any of the things that you put in it. It should be brown and crumbly with no unpleasant odours. Dig it into the soil in early spring or late autumn to improve the soil structure and act as a slow release fertiliser. Compost will open up clay soil, making it lighter to work and allow better drainage and aeration. Compost will stick sandy soil together, making it heaver and so holding on to essential moisture.

Use as a mulch. A 3" depth of compost spread around the garden helps retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing. In addition, it releases nutrients into the soil and improves texture. Worms pull down the mulch into their burrows, pass it through their gut, breaking it down even more and mixing it into the soil at the same time.

Well-processed compost can be used as potting compost.

Composting and Our Environment

Composting it not just about gardening - it helps our environment. Every year thousands of tonnes of kitchen and garden waste are thrown into our Wheelie-Bins. It usually ends up in expensive, unsightly and environmentally damaging landfill sites. So, lets put this valuable resource to use, help your garden and the environment and get composting!

Tell everybody about your composting experiences in the forum.

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