- Phil Young, horticultural manager at The Eden Project, says autumn is an ideal time to start a homemade compost heap.
- A successful compost requires a ratio of one part nitrogen-rich greens, such as vegetable waste, to two or three parts carbon-rich browns, like cardboard or chipped wood.
- Meat, fish, dairy, processed foods, diseased plants, and pernicious perennial weeds should be excluded to avoid vermin and root regrowth.
- Bins should be filled two-thirds full and turned roughly once a week to maintain heat and generate microbial activity.
- Home-made compost can be ready in as little as a month, resulting in a dark, crumbly texture ideal for enriching garden soil.
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