Home composting
An even better way of reducing the environmental impact of your garden waste is to compost at home. Home composting in a compost bin is a great way to deal with your garden waste and create nutrient-rich fertiliser for use in your garden. It takes about a year for compost to rot down, after which you can apply it to your flowerbeds, plant pots or vegetable patch.
Where can I get a compost bin?
You can buy a subsidised compost bin from your local council. If you have limited space, you could try a wormery, which is also available from your local authority in north London. Wormeries are easy and fun to use: simply add your organic waste and after a few months the worms will have eaten it all, leaving behind a fantastic fertiliser and a nutrient-rich liquid, which can be diluted for use as plant food. Contact your local council to obtain a compost bin or wormery:
Barnet
Camden
Enfield
Hackney
Haringey
Islington
Tips for home composting
Home composting is a rewarding process, but it can be tricky to get the hang of if you are just starting out. Below are some useful tips to get the process going:
- Use a decent compost bin
- Keep your compost bin in a level, well-drained spot.
- Welcome worms!
- Include a mix of material that provides both nitrogen (fruit and vegetable waste, grass cuttings) and carbon (paper, cardboard, fallen leaves). Keep up a good mix of greens and browns!
- Keep certain items, such as meat or dairy products, nappies, animal faeces or diseased plants, out of your compost bin to avoid pests and smells.
- Turn your compost to allow air in.
You can find out more about composting here.
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