what else can you use?

The principal goal of composting is to recycle organic matter on the spot, without the awful waste

of energy involved in moving it around the country first. Therefore, imported materials should not be added routinely to the compost heap. On the other hand, if there are local sources of composting ingredients that are available cheaply, or perhaps even free, it would be foolish to ignore them.

If your organic waste goes to a local composting scheme, it will be composted at a high temperature under controlled conditions. The resulting compost will be a clean, safe, weed-free material that can be bought and used straightaway in the garden. However, in common with other commercial soil conditioners that are based on recycled garden or forestry waste, it tends to be slightly alkaline, so is not suitable for use around rhododendrons or other acid-loving plants.

Strawy stable manure

can go straight on the garden,

while chicken manure is high in nutrients and makes an excellent

compost activator. Pigeon manure, often available even in the

centre of big cities, is similar.

Many other sources of organic matter are useful if available locally, including bracken, sawdust, seaweed, spent hop waste and mushroom compost, and straw. All these can go straight on the garden as a mulch and will help to improve the soil structure. Bear in mind, however, that in terms of nutrient content and other properties, these materials are very different.

Points to ponder

• mushroom compost is alkaline

• dead bracken, sawdust, and straw contain virtually no nutrients

• material from farms may have had pesticides used on them: always check and, if it has, compost it well before putting it on the garden

• landowners are often happy for you to collect bracken, but always ask first

• collect only loose seaweed washed up by the tide – do not, whatever you do, remove live seaweed from rocks