What is so good about home composting

You can make your own compost in even the smallest garden and, by using vegetable matter that would usually end up in the bin, you're reducing the amount of waste going into landfill sites so doing your bit for the environment as well.

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A.� There are two methods of composting, aerobic (with air) and anaerobic (without air), The first happens on compost heaps, the second in bins.

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Building a compost heap is relatively easy. Create a three-sided rectangle, at least�one metre high and�one metre wide using wood�such as old boards or pallets, making sure to leave a gap at the sides, big enough to let plenty of air in but not so big that all the material spills out. At the front you want something like a piece of board you can slide in and out for access.

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In smaller gardens a bin�is a more practical and smaller option. You can get them from garden centres or even your local council.

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A. With heaps you should layer composting material. Start off with a bed of something quite tough�such as shrub prunings, cover with a�six-inch layer of green matter�such as grass clippings or vegetable waste and then add something fibrous like straw. That is you basis.

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From then on add whatever you have, kitchen vegetable waste, tea bags, leaves, annual weeds, grass etc, but make sure not to put too much of one thing on at a time. It is also a good idea to intermittently add strips of newspaper or cardboard to add carbon to the pile which helps decomposition.

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You should turn it occasionally, mixing the top layer into the pile and allowing more air in and also cover the top with a bit of old carpet to stop rain washing all the goodness away.

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A.� Don't add perennial weeds�such as nettles, couch grass or ground elder as they will take over, or weeds that are in flower. Citrus peelings take a long time to break down. With a bin, most things will rot, but it can be worth adding special worms available from garden centres to ensure crumbly compost rather than smelly, but rich, mush.

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