Don’t bin garden waste, start composting instead
Gardening has provided solace for many of us during this testing year, but with local council collections of garden waste suspended or greatly reduced, finding a responsible way to dispose of all the clippings, prunings and now the fallen leaves continues to be a worry.
Find space for a compost heap, however, and almost everything destined for the brown bin can be transformed into fabulous rich, dark brown soil improver free of charge.
With carpets of leaves to collect and faded herbaceous plants to cut back, November is the ideal time to start composting or resurrect a neglected heap. Many readymade heaps are available, including plastic Dalekshaped bins like mine, or you can build your own from pallets or old timber: all you need is a container that’s a sensible size to cope with the quantity of waste your garden produces and good access to remove the finished compost. Site your heap on soil and give it some sun to boost the heat created by the composting process.
It’s important to add a balance of nitrogen- rich green waste ( grass clippings, vegetable peelings) and carbon- rich brown waste ( dead leaves, chipped woody material, cardboard) to achieve steady decomposition, which is helped by mixing or ‘ turning’ the heap regularly with a fork to move dry material at the edges into the centre. Finally, to keep the end product weed- free so that you will actually want to spread it on the garden, always cover the heap with a lid and avoid adding any weeds that have set seed or the roots of perennials.
Elsewhere in the garden, annual weeds will still flower and produce seed through spells of mild weather so pull out any that you see. Collect fallen leaves covering lawns and smothering plants, but leave some under hedges as cover for winter wildlife. Delaying cutting back herbaceous plants until early spring also provides a home for all kinds of creatures during the colder months, and their stems and seedheads create attractive winter structure too. Plant tulips now that colder conditions reduce the risk of them succumbing to disease. Large hybrid tulips are unbeatable when it comes to vibrant colour, but most will only flower well the spring after planting and need to be replaced frequently.
For a more informal display of daintier flowers year after year, try species tulips, such as Tulipa sprengeri, T. sylvestris, and T. orphanidea, which are ideal for naturalising in fine grass or to introduce striking spring colour among perennials.
Almost everything destined for the brown bin can be transformed into fabulous, rich, soil improver