Garden Composting

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Throwing garden waste into the dustbin really is a waste in the true sense of the word. In doing so you are robbing the land of nutrients and the potential of improving the structure of the soil. Composted material is also very useful as a mulch to cut down on moisture loss and weed growth.

Even local councillors such as ours in Wakefield recognise the benefits of composting and provide bins especially for the collection of garden waste but why give his valuable material away?

By composting garden waste you are simply making use of a perfectly natural chemical process, decomposition. It is this process that enriches the soil in ‘the wild’. Composting bins merely speed up the process.

What to compost?

Most organic material will compost and so you can add items such as paper, wood shavings and cardboard to your compost bin. Some bulky material will decompose faster if it is shredded or chopped.

For successful compost it is important not to have too much of any given material but a balanced mix. Too much grass clipping material will result in a soggy mess rather than the friable material that you wish to produce. Compost material is classified as green or brown. Green material is soft plant material such as grass clipping, annual weeds, soft shrub or hedge clipping, dead flowers and vegetable waste This is rich in nitrogen. Brown is dry material such as cardboard, dry twiggy prunings and straw, It is rich in carbon. Ideally a heap should contain green and brown material in roughly equal quantities. Easier said than done!

Diseased plant material, cooked food and meat products should not be composted. Neither should material that has been treated with weed killer. If you are unaware of the potential problems of persistent weedkillers check out this section of my website.