Composting

Composting is important in any garden. Not only will you get rich, organic compost for your plants, you'll be encouraging a healthy diversity of wildlife into your garden.

Composting means allowing organic material to rot down naturally into a crumbly brown, fresh smelling product.

Your kitchen and garden waste can easily be recycled into a precious natural resource - a rich and fertile food for your soil that will also encourage wildlife into your garden.

Let's not waste it!

More great reasons to get composting

• You can use your homemade compost to grow healthy, nutritious fruit and vegetables
• Peat-based compost has caused a rapid decline in the UK’s peat bogs
• By making and using your own compost, you are feeding nutrients to the soil, improving drainage, friability and aeration.Wildlife loves compost - thousands of mini-beasts and other tiny organisms work together to make it happen
• Many creatures find a compost bin a snug warm place for the winter, including slow worms, hedgehogs, frogs and toads
• You will be feeding your plants and boosting wildlife food chains
• You will be attracting a whole range of friendly beetles, insects, birds and small mammals into your garden

Composting is a job in the garden that can be started at any time of year, so there's no time to lose!

Find out how to get started with our 'Making Compost Guide'.

Do I have to turn the heap? What about rats? How long does it take before I can use the compost? Find out all the answers to your composting questions in our 'Composting FAQs'.