How Often Should You Put Compost In Garden

Making compost is a great way for gardeners and environmentally conscious homeowners to cut down on waste, all whilst boosting the nutrient intake of plants, and here we're going to show you how with with our expert guide on how to make compost. Create a purposeful, nutrient-rich compost heap in your garden with these simple steps...

How to make compost

What is composting?

Garden clippings and kitchen peelings contain nutrients that can be used by plants. However, they have to be well rotted before plants can absorb their nutrients; gathering them in a pile helps them break down more quickly. Composting is this speeding up of the rotting process.

Plants and foodstuffs are broken down by worms, bugs and bacteria. For these bacteria to survive they need water and air. If there's no room for air, they can't do their work. This is also the case if there's no water, so you may need to water your compost heap if it gets dry.

As the bacteria get to work, the compost heap becomes hotter and this in turn helps the bacteria to work more quickly.

Where do I put the compost heap?

You don't need a container to make compost but it's helpful to keep compost neat in a bin, which will also retain the heat. There are lots of compost bins around but one with a removable side will make it easier to turn the compost and then get it out when it's ready.

As you want worms and bugs to get in, put the compost heap on soil rather than paving or concrete so they can go in through the bottom. If you have to put it on a hard surface, add a spadeful of soil at the bottom to introduce some creatures.

Compost heaps shouldn't be smelly, so if yours is it's probably not getting enough air and the bad bacteria has taken over. Even so, it's best not to place it next to where you sit in the garden.

how to make compost compost bins made of wood for vegetable kitchen and garden waste

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How to make a compost heap

To make a compost heap, include anything that contains nutrients. Avoid meat; it needs higher temperatures to break down and a garden-sized heap may never get hot enough. Also, meat is thought to attract rats and foxes.

A good mixture is key. You need solid things, like twigs, to bulk up your compost and let air in, and squishy things, like green leaves and grass, to get the bacterial process underway. Too much solid and it will never break down, too much squishy and the smelly bacteria will take over and you'll end up with silage. No more than half should be soft green things such as grass or green leaves.

How to compost

It should take about six months to a year until you get brown, crumbly compost. Turn it once a month with a garden fork to make sure air is getting to the bacteria. More often, and the temperature won't have a chance to build up. Water the heap if it looks dried out.

How to use compost

Compost is a soil improver and provides nutrients to plants' roots. You can put a layer on top of the soil and it will leach down gradually into the deeper layers, or you can dig it into the earth around the plants' roots.

how to make compost, man hold out his hands with gardening gloves holding out hand fulls of compost from his compost bin

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What to put in a compost bin

These can go in: Twigs; shredded paper (not shiny paper); small pieces of cardboard. Cotton and wool fabrics. Uncooked veg trimmings; tea bags. Annual weeds; tops of perennial weeds. Old bedding plants. Dead leaves. Soft hedge and lawn clippings.

These can't: Big bits of woody material; cut up or shred first. Synthetic fabrics. Meat or bones. Perennial weed roots (even tiny bits of roots like bindweed may survive and infest your garden). Soil pests such as weevils or wire worms. Diseased plant material. Dog or cat waste.

how to make compost, compost maker bin for recycle kitchen, yard and garden scraps composter for small gardens

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How to make compost troubleshooting

• Problem: After a year, some of the compost is dark brown and crumbly, while in other places it hasn't rotted down at all.

Solution: Take the good compost out and use it; leave the rest to continue breaking down.

• Problem: Slimy/smelly compost.

Solution: This indicates too much water and not enough air. Introduce more woody material if you can, including paper and cardboard, to allow more air in and make sure the heap is protected from rainwater.

• Problem: Compost not rotting down.

Solution: You can buy commercial accelerants but if you add more green waste and make sure there's water, it should start to break down on its own.

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