Let’s compost now

Why is home composting important?

By composting your garden and kitchen waste you are reducing the amount of waste going in your food and garden waste recycling bin. Composting at home provides a home for a range of mini-beasts and worms that turn your food and garden waste into compost.

The Myths

Composting takes too long

To begin with, the progress may seem slow but once you get going you will have a supply of compost all year round. This does depend on how you manage your compost and the type of composting system you use. Compost turned regularly can take between 6 months and 2 years to be ready. Composting is not a sprint it’s a marathon!

I don’t have time to compost

Compost doesn’t take much maintenance time at all!  The only difference is that you are putting some of your food waste in your compost bin instead of your wheelie recycling bin. You just need to turn the compost once a week.

I don’t have a garden / my garden is too small

You don’t need garden or a lot of space to start composting. There are lot of different sizes and types of bins and containers – you  can even make your very own!

It  will attract rats

There are two reasons why mice and rats may be attracted to compost. One is for food and the other is warmth. To stop this from happening, bury food waste in the compost and remember don’t put meat, fish, bones or dairy products in your compost. Place the bin on a surface rats and mice can’t burrow under, like thick wire mesh. Also turn or mix up the compost regularly, this will discourage any nesting.

Trouble shooting

My compost is smelly and slimy…

A well-managed compost should not smell or be slimy, but if it does there a few of reasons why this may be happening:

• The compost may be wet, possibly from the rain and not getting enough air
• There is too much green materials in the compost such as grass clippings and food waste.
• Your compost has animal products in it such as meat, fish, bones or dairy products.

Make sure your compost is  covered, turn the compost and add some drier ’brown’ materials such as leaves, hedge cuttings or shredded plain paper or card and give it a good mix. Only put raw vegetable and fruit kitchen waste in your compost or consider a composting system specially designed to take all food waste such as a Bokashi bin.

My compost looks too dry…

Add more green waste such as veg peelings, grass cuttings.

There’s flies…

It’s a fact that flies are attracted to rotting food. However, there are simple ways to avoid your compost attracting flies. Make sure you mix and bury your food waste within your compost. You can also add a layer of brown materials such as leaves, shredded paper, or sawdust on top of each time you add food waste. If you do get flies try leaving the lid off for a few hours on a sunny day, then place a layer of wet newspaper on top to create a barrier before you replace the lid.

Home composting do’s…

• Mix a variety of other vegetable food scraps with grass clippings and leaves. Clippings tend to compact, which may stop the flow of air through the pile.
• Keep the pile damp, but never soggy.
• If adding vegetable food scraps, be sure to bury deep within the compost pile

Home composting don’ts…

• Don’t add fish, meat, dairy products, bones, fatty foods or grease to your compost. These food scraps do not easily decompose and may attract animals
• Don’t compost diseased plants or plants that are toxic to other plants. Also, avoid weeds, which produce lots of seeds
• Don’t add pet poo or pet litter

More information

Keep in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Search #LetsCompostNow

Recycle Now composting guide

Royal Horticultural Society composting advice

Wildlife Trust – How to compost your waste

Growing Manchester – free weekly webinars on Facebook

Up Gardener -How to start and use a compost bin