COMPOSTING

Q Please explain simple compost making because my husband despairs his compost has no creepy-crawlies, unlike yours. @ChrisCord57

Composting is simply the digestion of living waste by bacteria and other micro-organisms like fungi. The visible creepy-crawlies are good but not essential. The simplest method is to make a long, low pile and leave it for a couple of years and I guarantee it will turn into excellent compost. The downside of this is that it takes up space and time. Making it in bins or bays and turning it every month or so dramatically speeds up the process by providing extra oxygen to the bacteria. Ensure a balanced mix of ‘brown’ material like cardboard, straw or dried plant material, with ‘green’ stuff such as grass clippings or kitchen waste to speed things up. QI want to start composting in my small city garden. I have big trees there so have lots of leaves, and also collect food waste, but I’m nervous about attracting rats. @wildflowersnorfolk

First things first: leaves can be added to a compost heap but they are better made into leafmould, which breaks down by a different process to compost and will not attract rats. For your compost, don’t put in any cooked food, or any meat or fat. Add all your vegetable waste but mix it well with cardboard and other dry matter like dried stems. Finally, turn the heap or bin every few weeks. This speeds up the composting process and, as rats hate disturbance, they’ll not take up residence if you turn the heap regularly.