Ready to get the most out of your garden and turn waste into black gold? It’s time to learn about composting! Here you’ll find clear, step-by-step instructions, informative articles and pro tips on the composting process that will help you become a master composter in no time.
If you’re totally new to composting, start off with our home composting guide, while experienced composters might want to find out our 17 tips for speeding compost up!
I love using (the right kind of!) ash in the garden. I use it as a barrier around young tender plants to deter slugs, as part of a mix to make highly effective homemade fertilizer and to adjust the pH of the soil before planting brassicas. (I’ve even started to ask friends to keep leftover …
Is Ash a Good Addition to Compost? An Evidence-Based Answer Read More »
I didn’t scream. Honestly. It was more of a gasp. (A manly one, I might add. A claim I can make in the confident knowledge that I was the only person at the bottom of the garden.) I’d opened the lid to my compost bin, and there was a humongous rat staring at me. It …
I remember asking a hairdresser if I could collect hair from her. I’ll never forget the look she gave me. Even after I explained it was for my compost heap, she still seemed to think I was rather strange. Eventually, she swept up my hair and put in a bag for me – but there …
Can You Really Compost Hair? Here’s What The Science Says Read More »
Next time you walk in a forest, try bending down and taking a handful of the soil. You’ll find it dark with a delightful smell somewhere between rich earth and old leaves. These leaves are full of nutrients – the very nutrients that can be used to grow huge trees. And in the autumn, there …
Leaf Mold Magic: How to Use Fallen Leaves to Improve Your Garden Soil Read More »
Some composting systems recommend regularly turning compost piles. For example, the Berkely method recommends turning compost every single day until the compost is finished. Other systems recommend turning compost infrequently, or even not at all. Both systems can work – and both come with pros and cons. So in this article we’ll examine the different …
My first compost heaps were pretty awful. I used to put everything in a corner of the garden, and then wondered months later why I had a slimy mess. Later on I experimented with regular turning of my compost pile, and decided it was too much work to turn a compost heap every few days. …
Compost Bulking Agent: The Secret Key to Successful Composting Read More »
Worms are truly incredible creatures. There’s also a huge amount of them. An acre of good soil can contain up to 3 million earthworms, together moving 18 tonnes of soil a year in their search for food and creating 10 to 15 tons of worm castings. They are hugely important for the soil, and they …
Both gardening and composting are full of controversy. Compost tea is no different. You’ll find experts and scientists that believe compost tea makes no difference to plants – and could even be harmful. You’ll also find other experts that are convinced it can prevent disease and introduce beneficial microbes to your soil. Let’s take a …
Compost Tea: What is it, how to use it and does it work? Read More »
One of the reasons many people are reluctant to compost is the concern about insect invasions, whether that is in a small kitchen compost bin or a larger outdoor bin. And as anyone who has ever had an outdoor picnic knows: where there is food, you will find ants. Ants come quickly to a food …
My local council has a free compost scheme. The food and garden waste they collect from households is turned into huge quantities of compost. A portion of this is taken to one collection point, and anyone can come and help themselves. When you arrive at the collection point, the compost is often still hot. Sometimes …