A heap of love for happy soil

MAKING COMPOST IS THE BEST FRESH START A GARDEN CAN GET

- DAVID DOMONEY

Make the most of food waste

COMPOSTING at home is one of the simplest January upgrades you can make for your garden.

It turns everyday peelings and prunings into a rich soil improver, helping you cut down what goes into the bin.

Start now and, as the season turns, you'll start to develop your own steady supply of compost to feed beds, borders and containers.

If you have space, a compost heap is worth it. Site it on bare soil or grass, in sun or light shade, so worms and other helpers can move in and get to work. A simple cover keeps heavy rain off and holds a little warmth in.

For smaller gardens, a compost bin keeps things tidy and is easier to fit into a corner.

Wooden bins breathe well, which supports composting, while lidded plastic bins hold in moisture and look neater.

Tumbling bins are useful if you want to mix contents quickly, but they work best when you have enough material to keep the drum at least partly full.

Wormeries are another excellent option for winter, producing a fine, crumbly compost in a relatively small footprint.