Smarten up your compost

Keep garden recycling neat and tidy with a good-looking bin. Geoff Hodge looks at the pros and cons of what’s available

Keep garden recycling neat and tidy with a good-looking bin

Everyone knows how important the three Rs are these days – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. A major contribution gardeners can make is to convert our garden and kitchen waste into compost. Bulky organic matter is vital for a healthy soil and, consequently, healthy plants. It provides the food source for soil microorganisms that maintain soil fertility and help improve the structure of the soil, its drainage, water- and nutrient-holding capacity. Recycling plant waste into compost is good for our gardens and the environment.

Well-made garden compost can be used in several ways: it’s a superb soil improver, especially for light, sandy and heavy, clay soils; it’s perfect when planting out; and it makes a marvellous mulch.

You can make compost by just piling up raw materials into a heap, but a compost bin keeps everything neat and tidy and, depending on the type, helps retain essential moisture and heat for efficient composting. A bin with a lid also prevents rain turning the materials into a cold, soggy mess. However, closed bins can dry out and, because moisture is essential for speedy rotting, you may need to wet the contents occasionally.

Bin size is determined by the amount of garden waste you produce. For optimum results, 60-90cm (2-3ft) cubed (216-729L) holds sufficient material to heat up quickly and compost efficiently. Smaller bins need careful monitoring to keep conditions correct for speedy decomposition. If you have space, get two bins so you can fill one with raw materials while the other breaks down. ➤