Compost is free fertiliser, free soil improver and free mulch — made from the waste your garden and kitchen produce anyway. A home compost bin turns peelings, leaves and grass clippings into dark, crumbly "black gold" that transforms any soil, and it costs nothing but a little patience.
This guide covers everything a beginner needs: which bin to choose, the simple greens-vs-browns recipe, what to put in and what to keep out, and how to tell when your compost is ready to use. No chemistry, no jargon — just the practical system that works.
| Question | Simple answer |
|---|---|
| What bin? | A 200–300 litre plastic "dalek" bin — cheap, tidy, effective |
| Greens vs browns? | Aim for roughly equal volumes of each |
| How long? | 6–12 months for finished compost |
| Turning? | Helpful but optional — nature does it slowly without |
| Ready sign? | Dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling, no recognisable bits |
| How much? | A full bin makes roughly a wheelbarrow of compost |
Step 1: Choose your bin — simple is best
For beginners, the classic plastic compost bin (the dark-green "dalek" shape, 200–300 litres) is the best choice: cheap, tidy, keeps the heap warm and moist, and available everywhere. Put it directly on soil (not concrete) so worms and microbes can move in, in a partly shaded spot that is easy to reach with a wheelbarrow.
Alternatives: a wooden slatted bin (bigger, better airflow, you build it yourself), a compost tumbler (fast and tidy but small and pricey), or simply a heap in a corner — which works fine but looks untidy and composts slower. Start with one bin; add a second when the first fills up (two bins let you fill one while the other matures).
Step 2: Learn the greens and browns recipe
Everything you compost is either a green (nitrogen-rich, wet, soft) or a brown (carbon-rich, dry, woody). Greens: vegetable peelings, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, grass clippings, fresh weeds (no seeds). Browns: dry leaves, straw, shredded cardboard, newspaper, wood chips, prunings.
The recipe: roughly equal volumes of greens and browns, layered or mixed. Too many greens and the heap goes slimy and smelly; too many browns and it sits there doing nothing. When in doubt, add browns — most beginners' heaps are too wet and green. A handful of garden soil or finished compost between layers introduces the microbes that do the work.
Step 3: Know what goes in — and what stays out
Yes: fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves, eggshells (crushed), grass clippings (in thin layers), dry leaves, straw, shredded plain cardboard and newspaper, prunings (chopped small), spent herbs and bedding plants, and autumn leaves.
No: meat, fish, dairy and cooked food (attracts rats and smells), diseased plants (home heaps do not get hot enough to kill disease — bin blighted tomato or potato foliage instead), perennial weeds with roots (bindweed, couch grass) or weed seeds, cat and dog waste, glossy or plastic-coated paper, and ash from coal (wood ash in small amounts is fine).
Step 4: Build the heap right — air, moisture, mix
Start with a 15 cm layer of coarse browns (twigs, straw) at the bottom for drainage and airflow. Then add materials in mixed layers, watering each layer lightly as you go — the heap should feel like a wrung-out sponge: moist but not dripping. Squeeze a handful: a drop or two of water is perfect; a stream means too wet.
Chop or shred everything small — small pieces rot dramatically faster than big ones. Mix greens and browns together rather than layering thick slabs of one; grass clippings in particular mat into slimy layers if added thickly, so mix them with shredded cardboard or dry leaves. Keep a small pile of browns next to the bin to toss on top of every kitchen-scrap addition — it stops smells and flies instantly.
Step 5: Turn it (or don't) — and be patient
Turning (forking the heap over to mix it and add air) speeds composting noticeably — turn every month or two if you are keen. But it is optional: an unturned heap still composts, just slower (closer to 12 months than 6). Do whichever suits your energy; both work.
The heap will heat up in the first weeks — steam on a cold morning is a good sign. It then cools and shrinks as materials break down; keep topping it up. In dry summers, water it occasionally; in wet winters, a lid or old carpet on top stops it getting waterlogged. Patience is the main ingredient — nature does the work on its own schedule.
Step 6: Know when it's ready — and how to use it
Finished compost is dark brown or black, crumbly, sweet and earthy-smelling, with no recognisable bits of what went in (a few twigs and eggshell fragments are normal — sieve or pick them out). If it still looks like the original materials, it needs more time.
Use it as a 5 cm mulch over beds in autumn or spring — the single best use, feeding soil life and improving structure (see our soil basics guide). Mix it into planting holes, top-dress raised beds, or blend it 50/50 with multipurpose compost for pots. Never dig it in deeply — lay it on top and let the worms do the mixing.
Troubleshooting: compost problems
It smells bad (rotten eggs, ammonia): Too wet and too many greens — the classic beginner issue. Fork in plenty of dry browns (shredded cardboard, dry leaves), turn it to add air, and check drainage underneath. The smell fades within days once the balance is fixed.
Nothing is happening after months: Too dry or too many browns. Water it until it feels like a wrung-out sponge, add a bucket of fresh greens (grass clippings, kitchen scraps), and mix in a shovelful of garden soil to introduce microbes.
Fruit flies everywhere: Kitchen scraps exposed on top. Always bury fresh additions under 10–15 cm of browns or finished compost — flies cannot reach buried food. A tight-fitting lid helps too.
Rats in the bin: Usually cooked food, meat or dairy attracting them. Remove the offending material, use a bin with a secure lid and base (wire mesh under the bin stops burrowing), and stick to the approved "yes" list above.
What to do this October
October is prime composting month: fallen leaves are the year's best brown material — shred them with the mower and stockpile them in bags for year-round use. Add the autumn clear-out (spent tomato and bean plants, but bin diseased foliage) layered with those leaves. Start a second bin now if your first is full — you will fill it over winter while the first matures for spring.
Empty any finished compost onto beds as an autumn mulch — it protects soil over winter and the worms pull it down by spring. See the full October checklist for the month's other jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special activator or accelerator?
No — they are unnecessary. A handful of garden soil, some fresh grass clippings, or a shovelful of finished compost introduces all the microbes you need, for free.
Can I compost weeds?
Annual weeds without seeds: yes. Perennial weeds (bindweed, couch grass, dandelion roots) and any weed with ripe seeds: no — home heaps do not get hot enough to kill them. Drown suspect weeds in a bucket of water for a month first, or bin them.
How do I compost in a tiny garden or on a balcony?
A small tumbler or a wormery (worm composting) works in tiny spaces — wormeries turn kitchen scraps into superb compost and liquid feed with no smell. Bokashi bins are another odour-free indoor option for flats.
Is it true you shouldn't compost citrus or onions?
It is a myth — small amounts are fine. Very large quantities of citrus can slow worms in a wormery, but in an ordinary bin, peel away without worry. Chop them small like everything else.
Related guides
- Garden Soil Basics: Compost, pH and Feeding Made Simple — what your finished compost does for soil
- November Garden Checklist: What to Do Now (Europe) — autumn mulching with your compost
- Raised Bed Gardening: Build Your First Bed — fill beds the cheap way with home compost
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