The Geordie Forager

Herbal to***co alternative available again from next week. £5 a bag. Message to enquire 🍁💨

*COMPOST!* 🌱

😂 Might sound mad, but I've been making my own compost for almost 4 years now and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. Especially as I grow some of my own fruit, veg and herbs. 🍅

You can reduce your household waste and repurpose it into nutrient rich compost, ideal for use in the garden, or even growing flowers and veggies in pots indoors. 🌻

Things to add into your compost bin:
*Old or expired fruit, veg, herbs and their peelings and scraps
*Eggshells
*Cardboard (without print) toilet roll tubes etc
*Grass cuttings
*Twigs/branches/leaves/plant materials (avoid weeds that have gone to seed)
*Coffee grounds and tea leaves

Things to avoid putting in your compost:
*Meat and bones
*Dairy
*Oils and fats
*Bread and cheese
*Human and animal waste (Debated, but not recommended for home composting)

Basically a lot of organic material can be used, plus you can easily Google search and find out if something can be composted or not.

To get started you need a large receptical like a plastic bin or a compost bag. If using the former, it is a good idea to drill holes around the bin including the base, for air flow and drainage.
Begin layering your compost, alternating between live green matter (veg scraps/green grass cuttings) and dead brown matter (dried leaves/twigs)
Keep damp but not over watered and turn every week or so.
Balancing the green and brown matter well is key to stink free compost. 😂

Warmer weather and smaller scraps will speed up the decomposition process, so I recommend cutting up large veggies/branches etc before adding into your compost pile/bin.
It can take anywhere from 2 months to over a year for your compost to be ready depending on what you use and the size.

I personally use 2 compost bins, meaning I don't keep adding fresh material into compost that is almost ready to use.

Happy composting and feel free to ask me any questions! 🌱