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Home composting

What should I avoid putting in?

• Meat, fish, dairy
• Fat/oil (mix this with seeds for birds instead)
• Cooked or processed food (e.g. vegetables, bread)
• Whole root veg / fruit
• Diseased plants
• Roots of perennial weeds (dandelions, ground elder, bindweed, couch, docks)
• Plants with seed heads
• Large branches/logs
• Animal faeces from carnivores (e.g. cats, dogs)
• Coal ash
• Materials that never lived
• Vacuum cleaner contents

Using your compost

Soil conditioner: Dig it into the top layer of soil, or put some into each planting hole, to improve drainage and aid fertility.

Potting mixes: Mix sieved compost with sharp sand and soil. Use roughly equal portions of each or vary quantities to suite your plants.


Mulch or top dressing: Spread a thin layer around plants to retain moisture and feed plants.