Home Composting
Cut your waste by a third by home composting
If your household bin is overflowing each week,
then a home composter could be just the thing you need. There are
lots of reasons to try home composting ….
It can save you money.....by providing
you with free soil conditioner and by helping to keep your soil
moist (reducing water consumption)
It can help your garden.....by
improving plant health and growth giving you bigger crops of
fruit,vegetables, flowers and herbs by making your home-grown foods
healthier.
It improves our environment
- by changing your kitchen and garden waste into a
valuable resource
- by using up waste cardboard
- by reducing the amount of waste going to
landfill
- by reducing landfill methane (greenhouse gas)
creation
- by putting nutrients back into the soil
- by reducing reliance on toxic chemicals and
pesticides
- by reducing the need to buy peat based products.
Most commercial compost comes from peat bogs. These provide
natural habitats for rare plants and animals and are almost extinct
so we need to do what we can to protect them.
How to get your compost bin?
If you do not yet have a compost bin now is a great time to get
one, as Bassetlaw residents can start to compost at a lower price
than last year. A black 220 litre Compost Converter now costs
only £14 plus £5 delivery. You may also like to take
advantage of the buy on get one half price special offer.
To order your home composter bin online visit www.bassetlaw.getcomposting.com
or call 0844 571 4444 for more details.
How to get the best results from your Compost
Bin
Where is the best place to site a Compost
Bin?
A composter needs to be sited on a level, well
drained spot in order to allow excess water to drain out and to
make it easier for helpful creatures such as worms to get in and
start breaking down the contents.
What can I put in my Composter?
A composter needs the right ingredients to make
it work. The good things to put in include vegetable
peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings and grass cuttings.
These are considered “Greens”and are quick to rot and they provide
the compost with important nitrogen and moisture.
Other materials that you can compost include
cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves.
These are considered “Browns”and are slower to rot down.
They provide fibre and carbon and also allow air pockets to
form in the compost. Crushed eggshells can be included to add
minerals.
The following MUST NOT be
included in the composter
- Cooked Vegetables
- Cooked or Raw Meat
- Dairy Products
- Diseased Plants
- Cat or Dog excrement
- Cat Litter
- Disposable Nappies
- Shiny Card
Putting this material in your composter can
encourage unwanted pests and also create an odour.
Avoid composting perennial weeds such as
dandelions and thistles and also weeds with seed heads.
For best results, ensure your compost bin
contains some grass cuttings or vegetarian animal manure. They heat
up and speed up the composting process. However they should be
mixed with other organic waste to avoid slime formation.
It is essential that your compost bin is kept
warm and moist. Placing the bin in the sun and out of the wind is
therefore preferable. Ensure you always put the lid on your compost
bin and do not let the compost dry out. Ensure that air is getting
to the centre of the bin by turning the material regularly. This
will speed up the decomposition process.
How do you know when your compost is
ready?
Your compost is ready when it does not resemble
anything that you put in the bin. The process usually takes
approximately 6-9 months, however it can take longer depending on
the mix you put into the bin.
Finished compost is dark brown soil-like layer at
the bottom of the composter. Spreading this onto your flower
beds greatly improves the soil quality and helps retain moisture
and suppresses weeds.
Last Updated - 28/04/2010