Some Composting Waste Tips For Your Garden

The waste produced by our home and garden environments provide plenty of vegetable waste leftovers from growing food and ornamental crops in gardens, greenhouses and patios which can be used on your compost heaps and in bins. Presently, you might not be aware of how you can use the items listed below in your composting endeavours. 

This article will give you  some tips on effectively using vegetable waste that you will probably find in your garden and around your home.

Vegetable Waste

Annual,biennial and herbaceous plants

You can add soft stems or whole plants to your compost heap and bins throughout the summer and especially in the autumn when clearing your flower beds.

Annual and biennial weeds

You can compost these as you pull them up throughout the summer and in the autumn when tidying your garden and getting it ready for winter.

Dead flowers

As you cut off dead flowers from border plants and those growing in containers on a patio, they can be added to your compost heap.

Fallen fruits

Apples and pears that have fallen before ripening are great for adding to your compost heap. Also consider adding those that you've stored but unfortunately have started to rot before they could be eaten.

Fallen leaves

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. You can add small amounts to your compost heap.

Grass mowings

Throughout the summer its a good idea to add thin layers of grass mowings to your compost heap. Mix the mowings with fibrous waste to enable air to penetrate. Avoid composting grass cuttings that have come from a lawn recently treated with Weedkiller, as it can cause damage to plants.

Hedge Clippings

You can add clippings from soft textured hedging plants throughout the year.  Evergreen shrubs are best shredded as they do not breakdown easily.

Prunings

You can add soft prunings to your compost heap, but be aware that woody type shoots should be shredded and used as mulch

Shredded bark

Be aware that it takes a long to decay in your compost heap, so you be better off using it as mulch

Unharvested vegetables

This includes root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and parsnips, salad crops (lettuces, radishes and spring onions) and other veg including cabbages, Brussels sprouts and beans. If you want speed up their decay, cut up tough stems before they are added to your compost heap or bin.

The above Composting Waste Tips should act as a checklist when you assess the available vegetable waste in your garden and around your home.