Compost Beginner

I have finally decided to start making my own compost to try and save some pennies and help the environment. As I am fairly new to make-your-own compost i was just wondering what people recommend putting on the compost heap? At the moment im just dumping dead plant, fruits and veg etc. What else would make a rich compost?

 

Hi Ross,

its best to build a heap all at once if its possible, layering it with small twiggy dry stuff, kitchen & then garden waste. Of course in reality, you don't have the ideal stuff at the right time.

If its mainly kitchen waste at the moment, try putting layers of crumpled cardboard inbetween.

Wee wee is a good nitrogen rich activator.

 

Comfrey leaves are a really good activator too and I've found in the summer it heats up my compost and adds bulk too. Comfrey plants are indestructible though so think hard where to plant it, if you have the space for it.

When I started my compost bin nearly 3 years ago I thought it was only for garden waste. Now a lot of our household waste goes in there too. Things like hooverings, teabags, coffee grounds, nail clippings, hair, mouldy bread, paper shreddings, eggboxes and eggshells all go in there.

If you want really rich compost though you need to get hold of some horse manure to really get things heated up in your bin.

 

Always listen to a Lady with a Spoon

 

Thanks everyone! All useful information.

 

hmm...teabags. do these decompose? the bag not the leaves obviously.

 

Plenty of tea bags' bags made of, or having a significant proportion of, nylon/plastic these days :(

In France recently the tea bags were like little metal mesh bags - although i suspect they were actually plastic of some sort.

There will be little bits of net left behind in the compost heap for years to come I fear ... can't see they will do any harm though.

 

Just had a look around and the bags contain polypropelene which isn't biodegradeable, the rest of it is.

I'm in two minds about recycling teabags, would prefer them not to go to landfill but not keen on plastics in the compost.

Really not sure.

 

Some people tear them open - presumably the polypropylene residue can then go into your recycle bag?

I'm afraid that's too much faff for me, the bags just go onto the compost heap as they are ...

 

think i'll do the same from now on, I can always pick the plastic out if i see it. Better then going to landfill I guess.

 

Heard some folk say that they find the empty bags in the compost, the contents having rotted away to nothing.

Now that ranks alongside the biro for something to confuse future archaelogists

 

I tear each one open, which was ok to start with as the other half is the only person in this household who drinks tea. Now I'm taking home 100-150 tea bags home from work every week to put in the compost bin, tearing these up individually. They rot down much quicker that way I've found.

Interesting fact

 

I use yorkshire tea, just found this link that tells you what different bags are made of...
http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20110602/composting-teabags?oo=0

Cheers
D