Why spring is the best time to start composting (and how to begin)

If you've been meaning to start composting for a while, spring is basically the universe giving you a nudge. The weather is warming up, the garden is coming back to life and there's no shortage of things to chuck in a bin. It really is the perfect moment to start turning your kitchen scraps and garden bits into something genuinely useful.

Composting can sound a bit complicated if you haven't done it before. But it doesn't have to be. At its most basic, composting is just letting stuff rot in a controlled way. Nature does most of the heavy lifting, you just need to give it the right conditions.

Why spring is the magic moment for composting

The microorganisms that break down your compost - the tiny invisible workers doing all the real work - are much more active when it's warm. Over winter, they slow right down. But once temperatures start to climb in spring, they wake up and get going again.
That means if you start your compost heap in March or April, you could have usable compost by late summer. Start it in November and you'll be waiting a lot longer, spring gives you a head start.

Spring also happens to be when your garden produces loads of compostable material: grass clippings from the first mow of the year, prunings, weeds (before they've set seed) and all those dead plants you're clearing out to make way for new growth. You'll have plenty to work with from day one.

What you need to get started

You don't need much. A compost bin is ideal - it keeps things tidy, retains heat and stops animals getting in. A good bin with a lid will help your compost break down faster than an open heap, because it traps warmth and moisture. If you're short on space, a smaller enclosed bin is brilliant.

Beyond that, you just need two types of material: "greens" and "browns."

Greens are the wet, nitrogen-rich stuff: vegetable peelings, fruit scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, fresh plant trimmings. Browns are the dry, carbon-rich stuff: cardboard, paper bags, fallen leaves, wood chippings, straw. A rough mix of about half and half works well. Too many greens and it goes slimy and smelly. Too many browns and it takes ages. A good balance keeps things moving.

What to put in (and what to leave out)

Great for your compost: vegetable peelings and fruit scraps, teabags and coffee grounds, eggshells, garden waste (weeds without seeds, plant trimmings), grass clippings, cardboard torn into pieces, fallen leaves, paper bags and newspaper.

Leave these out: cooked food, meat and fish, dairy products, diseased plants, weeds that have gone to seed, anything that's been treated with chemicals. These can attract pests, cause smells or introduce problems back into your garden.

How to look after it

Once your bin is up and running, the main thing to do is give it a turn every week or two. This introduces air, which speeds up the breakdown. A garden fork or compost aerator does the job nicely. If it's looking too dry, add a bit of water. If it's looking too wet and soggy, add more browns.

You'll know your compost is ready when it looks dark, crumbly, and smells earthy - a bit like the forest floor. It should look nothing like the original material you put in. That's when it's good to go.

What to do with it once it's ready

This is the really satisfying bit. Finished compost is brilliant stuff. Dig it into your beds to improve the soil before planting. Spread it as a mulch around the base of plants to lock in moisture and keep weeds down. Mix it into pots and planters to give your plants a nutritious start.

You've taken kitchen scraps and garden waste, and turned them into something that genuinely feeds your garden. No bags of compost to drag home from the garden centre. No waste going to landfill. Just a lovely closed loop that makes your garden, and the planet, a little bit happier.

Ready to get started?

Spring won't last forever, so now really is the time to get a bin set up and start filling it. 
Take a look at our compost bins - there's something to suit every garden size, from compact kitchen composters to larger outdoor bins. Your garden (and your bin collection) will thank you for it.