What to add/what not to add to your Compost heap

It’s easy to make your own compost with the right mixture of organic kitchen and garden waste.

When composting on a small scale it is essential to get the right mix of ‘greens’ (waste with a high nitrogen content) and ‘browns’ (high in carbon and useful to create air pockets). Add them in thin alternate layers and shred waste for easier composting, smaller pieces = faster decomposition.

Do add:

GREENS
Tea bags/coffee grounds
Grass Cuttings
Organic kitchen waste (eg vegetable peelings)
Old flowers
Annual weeds

BROWNS
Twigs and shredded prunings
Small strips of cardboard
Scrunched up paper
Eggshells
Straw or hay
Dry leaves
Sawdust

Don’t add:
Meat
Fat
Cooked food
Dairy products
Animal droppings
Diseased plants
Perennial weeds (in particular roots & seeds)

Compost makes a great soil conditioner, excellent mulch for borders (adds nutrients and suppresses weeds) and can even be used as potting compost if you put it through a sieve before use.

Find out more about home composting from our friends at WRAP: click here for their web site

Watch Rabbie as he tries his hand at composting - click here for the video!