All gardens thrive on garden compost - all soil types improve.

My best continuous recycling bin is here & my big heap is here - I explain more on each page. I prefer these to drum or tumbler bins, but these have advantages too that I explain. My drum compost bins save liquid compost.

TUMBLER COMPOSTERS

Check these on my special page about bins that rotate to turn the whole heap, aerate and speed decomposition. Advantages and use of tumbler bins are explained on this link.

Is Plastic Any Good For Compost Bins?
Nowadays bins can be made from re-cycled plastic which has many good properties:-

• Can be moulded to useful shapes faciliating new innovative designs e.g. tumbler compost bins,
• Can be a ready-made single piece that's easily moved around to new locations,
• Heap totally enclosed keeps cool winds out, but can also have smart vents,
• Tight fitting lids and internal condensation retains moisture inside; some designs save liquid compost tea. Keeps out excess rain water,
• Smaller convenient size contributes to lower temperatures. But finely shredded material packed wall to wall heats up well,
• Tough, durable, and maintenance free,

About Traditional Composters Made Of Timber:

Here I explain more about the minimum heap size and how my big heaps have worked to produce good garden compost. You can also find kits for making traditional timber composters - all on this link.

My explanatory notes (free to read by clicking the link) deal with the basics, so you can better understand the composting process and adapt a method to your needs.

• What can you compost? : To find a list of organic materials to compost try the next link. It also gives appropriate treatment methods for each kind of material. Garden & domestic material for composting

I think you'll agree - the worst part of mowing the lawn is not pushing the mower, but emptying the grass box; and the worst part of cutting the hedge is not the cutting, but gathering up the clippings.

...and with that in mind you probably put off doing the jobs.

So let me introduce you to some tools and methods to make all these jobs easier.

Collecting material for composting: First, here's a few very handy tools to help you collect your garden waste and make the hard work easier.
 

• Worm Composting: Specialised worm composting bins are useful if you don’t have a garden but grow house plants, or when you want to make compost for plant containers or seedlings. Some types of worm bin are definitely easier to use than others. Find out how to make and use worm compost here and get the inside knowledge on good worm bin designs here.
  
  
• Use garden compost effectively and efficiently: With just a few compost bins, gardeners can rarely make enough garden compost to go around. So find how to economise and prioritise compost distribution. This link gives details on how to distribute and apply compost.
  
  

• Mix your own seed and potting compost: You can make your own seed and potting compost out of ready to hand organic ingredients like leaf mold, coir, loam etc... The advantages include saving on cost and bulk, while your compost is better suited to plant needs - find more on making compost for growing seedlings and plants here.
  
  
• Compare Proprietary Compost for Seedlings and Potting: What is multi-purpose compost, evaluate peat and non peat alternatives, will your compost bins help? My compost garden page checks them all out.
  
  
• Compost Gardening: You can make and harvest organic matter by re-using, recycling and converting nutrients to organic form with green manures.
  You can make a range of soil conditioners, composts and nutrient rich liquid feeds. This link is about working with the nutrient cycles in your organic garden
  
  

Commercial growers make useful organic fertilizers and soil conditioners from their nutrient/organic waste streams. Read more on this link about ready made organic fertilizers and how to use them.

Find more links about Compost Gardening below:

Types Of Garden Composter	Help On Making & Using Organic Matter		How To Recycle Waist With Worms
> Static Fast Through Converters > Drum & Tumblers > Traditional Large Heap Containers	> Decomposition In Progress - Hot & Cold > Materials You Can Recycle > Recycling Organic Matter In Many Ways	> Mix Your Own for Seeds, Potting, Planting... > Horticultural & Proprietary Mixes > Make Best Use Of Organic Matter	> Better Worm Bin Designs > Managing a Wormery

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My Neighbour's Compost Heaps

Savvy Vegetarian - support for vegetarian diet, healthy eating & green living, with free advice, articles, blog, recipes, & resources.

• How to make a beautiful & productive garden with Sarah Raven - click link.

  
  
  

  The Royal Horticultural Society is on this link plus... ...

Pictures of the growing landscape for the London Olympics

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