Spring is a busy time for gardeners and green-fingered households. All of the winter garden and kitchen waste will have started to rot down to produce fantastic, nutrient packed, compost for the new plants.
Enjoy our tips for better composting in spring:
1. Lovely lawns – March is about the right time to start removing all the dead grass leftover from the colder months. Put the ‘thatch’ into your compost bin and then give your lawn a good feed by sprinkling with the compost that is ready. By summer, your grass will be lush and healthy.
2. Stubborn shrubs - spring is the time to prune hardy shrubs; the dead and unwanted stems and leaves from roses and pampas grass make a great addition to the compost bin. Add with equal amounts of moist ‘green’ waste to prevent the bin drying out.
3. Bulb boost - As the floral summer displays take over from the daffodils and tulips, don’t forget that bulb greenery can be composted; just make sure that the bulbs have started to go brown indicating that all the available goodness has been absorbed.
4. Spring clean – Remember, vacuum cleaner bags full of dirt and dust can be composted. Also old shredded documents are ideal for adding structure and air to the bin.
5. Eat your eggs - Egg boxes can be composted so save the boxes after Pancake Day. The structure of the cardboard will aerate a heavy heap but can sometimes take a while to rot down; splash plenty of water on them and tear them up to speed up the process. Remember egg shells can be composted too, just crush them first so they break down faster.
6. As summer approaches family pets shed their toasty winter coats. Dog, cat and rabbit hair, like human hair, can be added to the compost bin.
