Master the art of composting with this ultimate guide.
Most people have a compost heap where waste from the garden is piled up and left to rot. However, this does not always produce good garden compost, perfect mulching and conditioning your soil.
How to build the perfect compost heap:
- Air and water - wet, green waste, especially grass clippings, has little air space. Therefore, it rots anaerobically, without air. This this type of composting produces a lot of heat, but it cools down quickly. Dry leaves on the other hand have plenty of air, but insufficient water. Composting is gradual, producing little heat and slow results. What’s needed is a combination of both.
- Green and brown waste - green waste includes grass clippings, weeds, shrub clippings, vegetable and fruit peelings, faded flowers and fleshy stems. Brown waste includes fallen leaves, dry stems, grass, and straw. By laying green and brown waste, and adding water, you will encourage aerobic composting.
- Keeping the heat in - as the compost is broken down by aerobic bacteria heat is produced. This accelerates the composting process. The more heat you can keep in the heap, the faster the process. Insulating the compost with old carpets is a great way to keep the heat in.
- Turning the heap - it is recommended turning the compost once the first state of the composting process has taken place, this can be easily done with a fork. These re-mixes the compost and re-stats the composting material that escaped first time round.
- Soil base - use a soil base, this allows access for earthworms which are a valuable part of the composting process. If there is a risk of vermin entering the heap, lay chicken wire across the grown before you site your compost container.
How long does it take?
Composting can take up to 12 months. However, it can be considerably quicky if you follow the above tips.
For more information about composting, please visit the Vitax website.