How to Compost at Home

Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden. It reduces waste, saves money on soil improvers, and creates a rich material that plants love. Here is how to get started.

What you need

At minimum, you need a compost bin or a designated area in the garden. You can buy plastic compost bins cheaply (many councils sell them at a discount), build a simple wooden enclosure, or just create a heap in a corner.

Place your bin on bare soil if possible, so worms and microorganisms can get in. A shady spot is fine – compost does not need sun.

What to compost

Good compost needs a mix of "greens" (nitrogen-rich materials) and "browns" (carbon-rich materials). Aim for roughly equal amounts of each.

Greens (nitrogen-rich)

• Vegetable and fruit scraps
• Grass clippings
• Fresh plant trimmings
• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Young weeds (before they seed)

Browns (carbon-rich)

• Cardboard and paper (torn up)
• Dry leaves
• Straw and hay
• Woody prunings (chopped small)
• Egg boxes and toilet roll tubes

What NOT to compost

• Meat, fish and dairy: These attract rats and create smells.
• Cooked food: Same problem – attracts pests.
• Diseased plants: The disease may survive and spread when you use the compost.
• Perennial weeds: Bindweed, couch grass and ground elder can regrow from the compost.
• Pet waste: Dog and cat faeces can contain harmful pathogens.
• Glossy paper and plastics: These do not break down.

How to make good compost

1. Add materials in layers: Alternate greens and browns to keep the balance right.
2. Chop things up: Smaller pieces break down faster. Cut up cabbage stalks, shred cardboard, chop woody stems.
3. Keep it moist: The heap should be damp like a wrung-out sponge. Add water in dry weather or more browns if it gets too wet.
4. Turn it occasionally: Mixing the heap adds air and speeds up decomposition. Every few weeks is enough.
5. Be patient: Compost takes 6-12 months to mature. Hot, well-managed heaps can be faster.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Smells bad: Too wet or too many greens. Add browns and turn the heap.
• Not breaking down: Too dry or too many browns. Add water and greens.
• Attracts flies: Bury food scraps under browns. Cover fresh additions with a layer of leaves or cardboard.
• Rats: Do not add meat or cooked food. Use a bin with a solid base if rats are a problem in your area.

When is compost ready?

Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and smells earthy. You should not be able to recognise the original materials. It is ready to use when it looks and feels like soil.

Use it as a mulch around plants, dig it into beds, or mix it with soil for potting. Even if it is not fully broken down, rough compost makes good mulch.