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A hand built compost bin. Using empty corn flake packets and tyres!

LET'S GET COMPOSTING - Submitted on 24 Sept, 2007

Welcome to Compost Corner. The object of this section is hopefully to share ideas and a little knowledge on various aspects of gardening in simple terms. I have often been accused of talking rubbish (I second that! Jim : )) so what better place to start than garden rubbish and composting!

L.F.E. is notorious for having heavy clay type soil which is not only hard to work with, but is also very poor in nutrients and hence gives poor rooting conditions. By creating and adding your own compost this can help to break down this type of soil as well as helping it to become more porous. A further article will follow on how to help to condition your ground.

WHAT ARE OTHER BENEFITS ?
By disposing of kitchen scraps etc you will be helping to reduce the need for landfill sites, the process is environmentally friendly and you will no longer have smelly waste bags/bins (especially in he summer) By the way a properly maintained compost heap will NEVER smell. Weeds will be suppressed and diseases reduced, as well as massively improving the condition of your soil.

Furthermore good layers of compost will eventually be drawn down into the soil by worms helping to reduce the need for digging and of course helping to aerate the ground. In addition the worms will in turn produce re- cycled soil as castes as they munch their way along.

WHERE CAN I GET A COMPOSTER?
If you can't make your own visit LCC Home compost Bins where you will find information of how how to purchase one and are excellent value eg a wooden 250 litre composter is only £20 or a plastic type for as little as £8. Personally I prefer the wooden variety as they not only look better but will not get as heated in a hot summer. Plastic of course is also not so environmentally friendly.

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION
Try Leicestershire County Council web site for the Rot-a-Lot Compost Club
Archwood Greenhouses for quality compost equipment for all your composting needs
Recycle Now /Compost for home composting bins

Because of the locality that we live in, we shall very soon be blessed with loads of leaves which can be added to your composter provided that you do not put them in a solid mass and mix them well with other materials. (A golden rule for good composting)

For a simple composter, try putting leaves into a loosely tied black bin liner to which you can add vegetable peelings etc. It is also a good idea to mix in a little accelerator every now and then. In six months or so you can empty the rotted contents around your shrubs to provide an excellent mulch.

TOP TIP:
PLEASE however remember to leave some small piles of leaves around which will attract small insects which in turn will provide a welcome source of food for our resident bird life.

I hope that this article encourages more people to create their own compost and if any one would like to submit any gardening questions then I will do my best to answer them

In the meantime HAPPY COMPOSTING and remember I talk rubbish....