HOT COMPOST

Just four ingredients are needed for this recipe for garden food – nitrogen (green material), carbon (brown material), water and air. In the right mix, they’ll a ract the micro-organisms essential to speed up decay. If you have room to spare, maintain two heaps – one where the food is cooking, and the second where the cooked humus is good to go.

STEP 1 Combine brown and green material

Brown items include dried plant ma er, fallen leaves, shredded branches, cardboard or other paper products, straw and wood shavings. They’re also called ‘dry’ and add carbon to your pile. Green items include kitchen scraps and fresh plant or grass clippings. They’re also called ‘wet’ and add nitrogen. Start your pile by mixing 3 parts brown with 1 part green material.

STEP 2 Add water

Sprinkle your compost regularly with water so it has the feel of a damp sponge. If the pile looks too wet and begins to smell, add more brown items or turn the pile more o en. If it looks brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist. But don’t add too much water or the microorganisms in your pile will drown, and it will then rot instead of breaking down. As the decay progresses, the pile should feel warm. Test it by reaching into the pile with your hand.

STEP 3 Stir often

Add oxygen to your pile by turning it once a week with a garden fork. This will help it cook faster and prevents it from smelling.

STEP 4 Feed your garden

When the compost no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown and crumbly, it’s cooked. Add to a depth of about 15cm to your flower and vegetable beds and add to your po ing mix in spring.

CUT GARDEN DEBRIS INTO PIECES ABOUT 12-15CM SO IT BREAKS DOWN MORE QUICKLY.