Recycling of food leftovers and garden waste is s a great way to obtain fantastic compost for your garden. Even the least enthusiastic gardener will find that composting is the easiest thing to implement in your day to day life of becoming a greener person. Keep a container in the kitchen to collect all your food leftovers, peelings, egg shells, tea bags etc so it is not an arduous task to maintain. Then, once a week you can empty the full container into your compost bin or onto your compost heap.
What can you use for compost? Well, quite a lot really and here are just a few suggestions:
Garden waste – grass clippings, leaves (not oak as they take far to long to decompose), old plants and flowers
Cardboard items such as toilet rolls, egg boxes and food packaging
What should you not use in your compost?
Cooked food like meat or fish. This could attract vermin and so is not welcomed.
Any treated garden waste, i.e. Weed killer applied to grass which is then cut – these clipping should not be used.
Weeds in flower or seeding as the composting will regenerate them and add to your weed problem!
Diseased plants or flowers should also be avoided.
Carnivorous pet waste i.e. Cat and dog waste must not be used, though vegetarian bedding like hay for rabbits, gerbils and hamsters CAN be used.
Oils and fats.
Let’s get started
Decide on an area in the garden to start your compost heap or place your compost bin. Ensure there is adequate drainage around the area.
Collect equal quantities of wet and dry materials for composting.
Ass the materials in layers – dry one day, wet the next day and so on, or mix them together.
If your mix is too dry, then add water. If the mix is too wet, add more dry materials.
Continue to add to your compost heap and monitor the status – ensure the compost does not get too host or too dry.
And that’s it – it couldn’t be simpler. So why not make your life greener by getting a compost bin today. It is one of the best ways to see what being green is all about. You will be surprised at how much food waste is produced by your household, so why not turn it into a positive and recycle it to make your own compost for your garden to enjoy?
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