Composting a simple process

Creating a compost bin can be a simple process, it has been asserted.

Online resource the Town Crier suggests that such a container can be fashioned out of four garden stakes and some wire netting or even a number of wooden pallets, while purpose-built bins are suggested for gardens where aesthetics are important.

Regarding content, the publication suggests that soft plant material makes the best compost but that scraps from the kitchen such as meat or other cooked food should be avoided to stop vermin being attracted to the bin.

"Newspaper and even wool will rot down. Many will want to use grass cuttings, but these need mixing with other material. Avoid weeds that have seeds attached or diseased material," the article concludes.

In related news, the Times green-fingered expert Helen Yemm recently advised gardeners who have compost heaps that sprout to be more selective with regard to the material they put in them, suggesting that they avoid long, flowering grasses.