GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR COMPOSTER
Composting is an entirely natural process carried out by a myriad of creatures, most of them too small to be seen by the naked eye. Anyone can transform their kitchen scraps and garden waste into useful compost by simply installing a Composter in their garden.

GETTING STARTED

• Place your composter on to well drained soil and if possible a sunny spot.
• Loosen soil beneath the compost bin in order to help drainage and to make it eaiser for worms and bacteria to enter the bin from the earth surrounding it.
• If you place a few inches of manure or kitchen waste on to the loose earth, this will help attract worms and micro-organisms.
• A good mix of wate material in your composter is essential to aid the composing process.
• Get yourself a kitchen bin to collect scraps, then you won't have to trot down to the composter every time you prepare a meal.

WHAT CAN YOU COMPOST?
Vegetable and Fruit Peelings, Tea Leaves, Coffee Grounds, Crushed Egg Shells, Weeds, Grass Cuttings, Hair, Animal Manure, Straw and Hay, Spent Hops (good activator), Vacuum Dust (only if your carets are non synthetic).
The following should be used in small amounts only: Evergreen Clippings, Paper, Prunings.
Things to avoid: Disposable Nappies, Used Hankies, Animal or Human Excrement, Brightly Coloured Shiny Paper, Stones, Plastic, Glass, Metal, Cleaning Products, Garden Chemicals Meat (raw or cooked).
Make sure that: Your composter is out of the wind, well airated (turn the contents regularly), keep the contents moist (adding water if required).
Activators: These speed up the composting process and are very useful in the winter months for maintaining te process. We stock activators should you require them.

USING THE COMPOST

• The compost is ready when it doesn't look like any of the things that you put in it. It should be brown and crumbly with no unpleasant odours.
• Compost will open up clay soil, making itlighter to work and allow better drainage and airation.
• Compost will stick sandy soil together, slowing over-drainange and holding on to essential moisture.
• Use as a mulch. A 3" depth of compost spread around the garden helps retain moisture and prevents weeds from growing. In addition, it releases nutrients into the soil and improves texture.