Martin Way Allotment Gardens Association

Composting

Composting is a great way to boost the health of your allotment.  It’s a win-win situation – you dispose of your garden and allotment waste (old plants, leaves, trimmings, windfall fruits, annual weeds and grasses, crushed eggshells, teabags, coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit peelings, shredded cardboard/newspapers) and, after six months or so, you are left with a nutritious ‘black gold’ which will give a fantastic feed to your plants, as well as improving the soil texture.  So a compost bin is an essential for any keen gardener. 

But it doesn’t just have to be in the compost bin, you can also ‘trench compost’, by digging a trench, filling it with your compostable material and covering it again with soil.  The compostable items will rot down in their own good time, creating a healthy base for your next crops (this method is especially recommended for crops grown in rows eg. beans).  For a useful article giving guidance on methods of composting, click here.

Having problems with your compost heap?  Click here to find a solution.  

PS:  And if you find one of these chunky fellas while digging out your compost, don't worry.  It's the larva of a rose chafer beetle and it is great at making compost.  So put it to work again and toss it back into your compost bin!