The A-Z of Composting   ACTIVATORS are not necessary to make compost provided you have a balanced mix of green and brown, wet and dry materials. Commercial activators usually consist of chemical nitrogen, which may be harmful to the living organisms in your heap. BE proud of your compost! Remember you are doing your bit to help Ireland's waste crisis as well as helping to save the last of Ireland's bogs. CARDBOARD and paper are important for your compost heap as they provide a source of essential carbon. They also help keep the heap from becoming waterlogged. Add scrunched up paper or torn up cardboard as you go. DON'T be afraid of all the rules ­ remember composting is a process that happens all the time in nature. Even if you just dump your organic waste in a corner and forget about it, it will eventually become that wonderful, crumbly stuff of compost! EARTHWORMS and other soil creatures are vital to break down your waste to compost. Be sure that your compost heap/bin is sited on bare ground so that they can access it easily. FAECES from pets other than herbivores are best kept off your compost heap. They can contain dangerous pathogens GRASS clippings are sometimes difficult to compost without creating a slimy mess! An easy solution to this is to leave the grass clippings on the lawn ­ but you must mow regularly, especially in the summer, so that the clippings are light. If you really want to remove the clippings, you can use them to make cardboard mould. Simply make a layered stack of thin layers of grass clippings and flat cardboard in between. HAIR (both human and animal) can be added to your heap and provides a source of nitrogen, though it takes a long time to decompose. Remember to moisten the hair well when you are adding it to the heap. IDEALLY your compost will be a rich brown, crumbly substance ­ but don't worry if it doesn't look like the commercial compost you are used to. This is natural, chemical free, environmentally friendly stuff ­ you may have to get used to a coarser, damper material. But it is still compost and still very useful. You can sieve it if you want to make your compost finer and if you leave it in a black plastic bag for a year it will become finer and crumblier. JUST remember that your compost heap is a way of saving you money - by lessening the need to buy artificial fertilisers and composts and also by reducing the amount you pay to your local authority to dispose of your waste. KIDS are usually very interested in how compost heaps work. Encourage children to help you with your own heap/bin and explain to them what you can put into it. This will help composting become established as 'normal' in the next generation. LITTLE black fruit flies may appear on your compost heap in the summer, but these are completely harmless. If you want, you can put a layer of newspaper on top of your compost pile to deter them or alternatively, cover new material with a layer of soil. MAKE your own compost cone from a dustbin. Cut away the bottom of the bin, turn it upside down and place on the ground. Make sure that the bottom of the compost heap will have contact with the soil so that beneficial creatures of the soil can start working on your waste and turn it into compost. The bin will need a lid to help retain heat. NATURAL fabrics such as wool and cotton can be added to your compost heap/bin and will add bulk. It is best to cut or shred these as they may take a long time to decompose. Do not add synthetic fabrics. OLD bits of carpet are ideal for covering your compost heap/bin. This will help keep the heap retain heat and compost faster. PRACTICE makes perfect. Once you become familiar with the whole process of composting and have undertaken it yourself for a while, then you will know what works best for you in your situation. QUIETLY enjoy the wildlife that will be attracted to your compost heap ­ including frogs, hedgehog and singing birds. RAIN is good for your compost! Your compost heap/bin needs to be kept moist, and rainwater seems to be the best ­ plus it is easy. If your compost is dry, simply leave off the lid/roof of your heap for a while and let the rain moisten it. SMELLS from your compost bin/heap can be caused by different processes and so the solutions may vary. If the compost is too wet it may emit an offensive odour. Simply add some dry materials such as torn up paper or cardboard, fallen leaves or straw. A 'rotten egg smell' suggests that not enough air is getting into your compost heap/bin ­ use a garden fork to mix and aerate it. If too much grass clippings are added, this may result in a strong, unpleasant smell. Add some dry materials and mix well. TWO heaps are better than one. Once you have one heap/bin full, then start another one and let the first one to mature. Keep it covered or bag it in a black plastic bag and be patient. Compost gets better with age, and if you wait a year or so you will be rewarded with top quality compost. UNWANTED! If you are worried about attracting unwanted wildlife (such as rats) to your compost heap/bin, here are some tips: plant lavender around the base of your compost heap/bin locate your heap/bin in as open a place as possible ­ rats dislike crossing open spaces avoid putting meat and fish on your compost heap/bin ­ these tend to attract rodents and large houseflies. If you want to compost these materials, why not try a wormery ­ these are sealed and won't attract rodents. More information on wormeries VEGETARIAN pets (e.g. rabbits and guinea pigs) can help your compost heap by providing manure and bedding. Don't add cat and dog faeces as they may contain dangerous pathogens. WEEDS are generally okay to put on your compost heap, provided high temperatures are created to kill the seeds or the weeds are added before the plant has set seed. Otherwise, when you spread your compost, you will also be spreading weeds. You should avoid adding pernicious weeds such as creeping buttercup, couch grass and bind weed as these can spread by methods other than seed. However, the roots of weeds contain valuable minerals, so if you don't want to waste them, you can make a stack of the earthy weed clumps and cover completely with thick, black plastic to exclude all light. Leave for about two years and the result is a lovely rich loam. Alternatively, you can 'drown' the weeds to release their minerals by keeping them submerged and covered in water for a few weeks. It will smell pretty badly, but the smelly water can be used as a plant feed (the smell won't linger) and the plant remains can be safely composted. eXtra compost can be given to gardening friends ­ serious gardeners can never have too much compost. It can be used as a mulch, a soil conditioner, for feeding houseplants and making hanging baskets. YOU can add urine (both human and animal) to your compost heap if you dilute it before watering it onto the heap. It is a source of nitrogen and potassium. However, too much will raise the salt levels and inhibit worms. Zzzzzzsleep well knowing that you are reducing your contribution of waste going to landfill, helping to save Irish peatlands by not buying peat-based compost for your garden and recycling nutrients and feeding your soil. All in a day's work!

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