As we move into the peak harvesting time in the veg patch it’s a really good idea to get a compost heap on the go. In just a few weeks you’ll have lots of plant debris to clear and, if you use it wisely now, you’ll have an amazingly nutritious compost for your veggies next year.
Whether you decide to buy a compost bin or build something out of old pallets, or even just 4 posts and some chicken wire, you’ll be really glad that you did it.
Any old plants can be popped into the compost heap, unless they have disease affected foliage. All the nutrients that they’ve absorbed from the soil, like nitrogen, potassium and magnesium, will be slowly broken back down over the next few months leaving you with a really rich and nutritious compost to use in the future. You can also add raw veg peelings, twigs, leaves and even bits of cardboard and straw to your compost heap.
The alternative is to dredge up the leftover plants at the end of the season and get rid of them, either on the bonfire or in the rubbish collection. But composting them is WAY better!
