Square-metre composting tips

Nic Wilson explains how to start making your own garden compost and the many benefits it brings

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YOUR BIN

A wooden slatted bin keeps the garden waste and compost in and allows air circulation and access for wildlife. Kits are available to buy or you can build your own using old pallets or timber offcuts. Just a 1m x 1m bin could provide you with hundreds of litres of valuable garden compost every year.

POSITIONING

A site in full or partial shade is best.

The bin should ideally be placed directly on the soil so that beneficial creatures such as worms, other invertebrates and soil microorganisms have easy access to the contents. If your bin is on concrete or another hard surface, add a bucketful of soil before you start composting to introduce microorganisms that will aid decomposition.

ADDING WASTE

Once your compost bin is set up, start to add a combination of green waste, such as grass clippings and raw vegetable peelings, and brown waste, which includes torn-up cardboard, egg boxes and shredded hedge trimmings, in a ratio of about 1:1. This should create a mix that decomposes to form a dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling compost.

MICROORGANISMS