Starting a compost bin

Planting a compost bin feels like inviting a bustling workshop into the quiet corner of your garden. Choose a shady spot with good drainage, not too far from the kitchen door, so vegetable peelings never fester indoors. According to AHS Ltd’s composting experts, ventilated bins help maintain airflow and curb unwelcome odours.

Kick off with a base of coarse materials: twigs, shredded cardboard and straw give structure beneath finer scraps. Add kitchen peelings, tea leaves and fresh grass clippings in layers. Scatter garden soil between tiers to introduce microbes that spark decay. Balance moisture carefully, for waterlogged heaps attract pests, while parched piles stall.

Every fortnight, turn the heap with a garden fork, drawing outer material into the centre. Soon, heat builds within, testifying to thriving bacteria and fungi. After three to six months, a dark, crumbly substance emerges, ready to enrich beds and border soils.

Even in winter, when decomposition slows, life stirs within the pile. With simple rhythm and patience, a compost bin rewards with humus-rich results. Turn each forkful into black gold for seedlings, ornamentals and vegetables alike, weaving sustainable practice into every patch of earth. AHS Ltd encourages gardeners to embrace this journey, witness soil transform.