Slough Borough Council

Making compost

Follow these simple points to get the best results:

Filling your composter the first time

1. To get your compost process started you will need to set it up to ensue that air circulates properly. A good way is to layer the bottom of your compost unit with some twigs or slivers of wood.
2. Next you can use cut flowers or the remains of houseplants to make a layer over the twigs. This layer will stop the gaps in the twigs being filled up and allow air to penetrate under the rotting waste. You will only need to do this to start up the process. When composting gets going the twigs will rot or be broken down. But by this time the composter will have a natural system and they will not be needed.
3. Next you can layer the actual waste you want to compost. Make sure that what you put into the composter the first time is very mixed. Do not just put in grass or leaves. You must find a variety of different materials thoroughly mixed up. If you don’t mix it all up the rotting process will not get started. Do not, however, fill the composter beyond 80% of its capacity.
4. As you build up the layers it is an idea to put a few handfuls of ordinary garden soil into the mixture. This will introduce the creatures which will start the rotting process. Some garden centres sell special preparations of the various rotting down compounds and bacteria which start the process. It speeds things up a bit, but is not necessary.

Compost ventilation

Composting quickly breaks down all sorts of waste. The moist waste products will start to sink down from the top of the composter and leave room for you to put in more waste. However, as it sinks it condenses. The air pockets gradually fill up and so some regular turning will help put some air back in. Without air the rotting stops. Regular poking or stirring with a stick, garden fork or a metal rod will create ventilation channels in the material, helping the composting process.

Signs of life

If you see worms or other insects in the compost this is great. It means that the composter is working. You can encourage the development of a colony of worms and other creatures by putting a few in from other parts of the garden if you find them. But don’t do it until you find some proper soil developing. The worms will not survive on raw food or plant matter.

Removing the mature compost

After a few weeks (in the summer) the first compost will begin to mature. It will be a tiny amount at first. Have a look under the other layers or dig up a little. If you find a deep brown or dark rich earthy substance that is rich in fibre you have produced the first compost. Sometimes you will find some only partially rotted items. Don’t worry, you can still dig them into the soil as you use it. Or you can put bigger lumps into the top to go through the composter again.

It is best to let a good layer of soil build up before you start taking compost out for use. However, once you have a regular supply of new compost you can use it as fast as it is produced.

Topping up the composter with waste

You need to keep regularly adding waste to the composter. Add things to it daily if you can. It is best to make sure that you get a good mixture of waste materials. This helps to promote good quality plant nutrition and assists the rotting down process. If you put a lot of the same material in you may find that the composting stops. A lot of grass clippings from a big lawn or a lot of hedge cuttings may need to be put into a plastic sack and then added with other things over a period of days.