Compost heaps and bins
A compost heap can be just that – a free-standing mound in an out-of-the way corner of the garden. For neatness, convenience and rapid composting, it is often better to make it within a bin built from a framework of wooden shutters or chicken wire netting. You can buy simple kits to construct or you can make your own. It is best to have a pair of bins, so that the contents of one is maturing while the other is being filled. For a medium-sized garden, a bin 1 square metre all round is ideal, but larger bins are fine if you have the material. A minimum 1 cubic metre bin is needed to generate sufficient heat. You can use a proprietary compost container. These are usually made out of black PVC and have a lid to keep out light and rain and to raise the temperature inside. They can turn your waste into compost faster than a heap made in the open, particularly in cool areas. Some models can be rotated on an axle, making the business of turning the heap quick and simple; they make good compost in just a few weeks.

What to compost
Most garden waste is suitable for composting. Anything that has lived can live again! The tops of peas and beans, lettuces gone to seed, beetroot leaves, lawn clippings, dead flowers, leafy hedge clippings, annual weeds, shredded paper, vegetable kitchen waste and eggshells are all suitable. Do not use infested or diseased plant material, woody material that will not decompose, or scraps of cooked food or meat that may attract vermin. Bash hard roots and stems, such as those of corn and cabbage, before adding them to the heap, and mix the material thoroughly.

Building the heap
Making good compost fast is all about balancing the carbon–nitrogen ratio and providing aeration. There are two types of soil bacteria that will break down material into compost: anaerobic, which thrive in environments with low to no oxygen, and aerobic, which thrive in oxygen. The latter can recycle materials to produce compost much faster, so providing plenty of oxygen, or aeration, to the pile is very desirable. To start the heap, spread a mattress layer of branches and twigs to permit air access to the pile. Drive two or three stakes into the ground vertically within the bin area. Now alternate layers of high-carbon waste, such as shredded newspaper, straw, sawdust and dry leaves, with high-nitrogen materials, such as lawn clippings, garden waste, kitchen vegetable scraps and animal manures. The volume of carbon wastes should be much larger than the nitrogen wastes.