Compost

As it is an easy way to add nutritional value to the soil that you already have, compost is an absolute must for anyone trying to grow anything from plants to potatoes! Compost can be bought cheaply enough from any garden centre or DIY outlet and often enough you will see it in super markets.

The alternative to buying compost is to take the time to make your own. In 2007 the Food and Grocery Experts published a report on their website that stated that the UK wasted £8.3 million worth of food each year with an average of £250 - £400 per household. This doesn't include the cost landfilling which is were the majority of this food ends up.

http://www.igd.com/index.asp?id=1&fid=1&sid=17&tid=0&folid=0&cid=298

With this in mind it should be pretty easy to make your own compost. All you need is a container to keep it in and to follow some basic rules to make the process easy, enjoyable and successful! For my compost bin i was lucky enough to get an old discarded wheelie bin (don't just nick and old bin from somebody, they are the councils propety!) and simply cut a hole in the front at the bottom and drilled some small holes in the sides so the compost can breath. Then I just put a plank of wood in the front to cover the access hole and started filling it up! I'll put some pictures on when I get a chance!

 Remember not all waste can go on the heap. The biggest item not to us is meat as it can attract rats but sometimes things you might think will help it will actually cause you problems. I like to use a website called Compost This for advice on what to and what not to use.

http://www.compostthis.co.uk/