As a child, the compost heap at the top of the garden was a mystery. Why, I wondered, was my Dad tramping up the lawn with potato peelings, eggshells and tea leaves? Grass cuttings were regularly chucked on the pile, along with cardboard, twigs and weeds.

Today, I am well acquainted with the benefits of compost. This valuable soil improver works wonders on plants and flowers, is ridiculously easy to make at home, and is as environmentally friendly as it gets. If awards were given to useful products that save the planet, compost would top the podium every time.

However, I am late to the composting party, having previously preferred to buy bags at the local garden centre. Shame on me. So, this year I bit the bullet and bought a composter. It’s not exactly a thing of beauty – I doubt even Sir Monty of Don could make composting sexy – but what it does, silently and slowly, is exquisite.

It didn’t escape my notice that purchasing a plastic bin isn’t exactly sustainable. But I’m confident that, once I get into the swing of things, I’ll be using and reusing this black container until the day I turn up my gardener’s clogs. First, though, I had to do my homework.

After I’d plonked it in a shady spot to keep the inside damp, I quickly learned what waste is (and is not) advisable. Dead leaves, old cut flowers and prunings are fine, as are bedding plants and, of course, grass cuttings (thanks Dad). Diseased plants are a no-no as are weeds that have already gone to seed.

Fruit and vegetable scraps are acceptable as are coffee grounds and eggshells (yes Dad, I know) but meat and fish are not OK, and don’t even think about anything inorganic like plastic or glossy paper. Cardboard gets the thumbs up but should be torn or shredded first, and it’s also recommended that woody waste such as hedge trimmings should be chipped or chopped in advance.

The combination of these green and brown ingredients makes for a stinky soup that gradually rots down and transforms into a free compost which, when spread over beds or lightly raked in, increases the organic content in your soil. It also boosts fertility and allows plants to build up resistance to insect attack and disease. There’s the added bonus that, during the decaying process, a community of bugs works to break down the matter and, in turn, provides a food source for hedgehogs. 

While the mix of compostable items can be left to its own devices, I decided to help the process along with some comfrey pellets and water. I also try to ensure a regular variety of food and garden waste is added to the bin. At some point, I’ll grab my garden fork, turn the compost, and aerate.

Composting is a brilliant thing to do in the warmer months when there’s an abundance of ready additions for the pile. Then, when autumn kicks in, you can leave it to fester over winter, knowing there will be homemade compost waiting for your spring shoots. Just make sure that it’s brown and crumbly before slathering it on the soil. In the case of compost, patience is a virtue.

And now I will meander up my garden, laden with spent flowers and food scraps. Like father, like daughter.

Words and images by Helen Nugent, Editor of Northern Soul  

 

This article first appeared in Catena