How to Make Compost

It’s never too early or too late in the year to start composting, and your crops will love you for it when you do. It’ll feed them with all the nutrients they need, as well as giving you somewhere to discard your organic materials instead of sending them to landfill.

But the question is: how do you make it? Our handy guide will help you learn how to make compost, how to speed up the process, what you can compost and what you can’t. 

How to Make a Compost Heap

Creating compost is really easy and is made best in bins rather than open piles, as they keep in warmth and moisture which helps speed things up. Opt for a bin with an open base that allows for drainage, so that worms and micro-organisms can access the compost and help break it down. If your bin has a hard base, add a layer of soil to the bottom before you add the compost.

To make the compost, aim to add an even mixture of nitrogen-rich green materials (like grass, weeds and veg peelings) and carbon-rich brown materials (like hedge trimmings, paper and straw). Too much green and you’ll end up with a slimy, smelly mess; too much brown and the compost will be too dry, making the process super-slow. If you do find yourself with a heap like this, you can always buy activators to make up for the lack of brown/green waste.

Make sure you’ve got a good composter to contain your heap - we have plenty of different types and sizes to suit your needs.

To speed up the process, give the heap a turn every now and then to introduce some air (once a month should do it). If it’s too wet, the process will be much slower.

After a minimum of six months, the compost will turn brown and crumbly – your cue to feed it to your plants and watch them thrive.

Green waste

Grass clippings

Leafy weeds

Teabags

Coffee grounds

Fruit and veg peelings

Brown waste

Wood

Shredded prunings

Hedge trimmings

Straw

Sawdust

Torn-up cardboard

Loosely scrunched-up paper or newspaper

Paper towels

Dead leaves

Also add

Eggshells

Wool or cotton fibres

Meat or fish scraps

Diseased plants

Perennial or seedling weeds

Cooked food

Dairy products

Cat or dog faeces

Colour-printed paper

Follow this advice and you’ll soon have perfectly crumbly, highly nutritious compost to feed to your plants. If you need some good quality compost now while your heap works its magic, have a look at our range of ready-made compost. With all sorts available, from seed and cutting compost to all-purpose, we’re sure you’ll find something to suit.