Revitalise the compost heap
compost heaps, full of the autumnal and early spring clearances from the borders, slow their process down as the temperature drops. The most well rotted of the three bays is sieved at the beginning of spring and bagged up to be used throughout spring and summer as part of our potting mix.
Any left over is then spread as a mulch on the vegetable borders. The other two bays are then turned and as the weather warms up, the bacterial action that will create the magic of good garden compost begins to kick into action.
As a rule, the warmer the weather the quicker the compost will make, but turning is the most significant factor in converting garden waste into good compost.
Getting a good mix of materials is very important. Ideally, there is a balance of carbon (brown) material like dried stems, cardboard or dried grasses, and nitrogen (green) material such as lawn clippings, kitchen waste and any fresh growth. The biggest mistake is to have too much green material that is overly nitrogen rich and has a tendency to become anaerobic and reduces to an evil-smelling, greeny brown sludge.
Plenty of carbon – at a ratio of about 2:1 in volume – will stop that happening and ensure a really pleasant, useful texture and content when fully composted.