A balance of ingredients is essential for good compost: if you have a lot of grass mowings mix in paper or other dry material to absorb the moisture. Soil bacteria play a vital part in making compost, so be sure to place your bin on the soil and add in an occasional shovel of topsoil, or weeds with soil stuck to their roots
Ingredients
Vegetable and fruit peelings
Tea leaves, coffee grounds and egg shells
Annual weeds
Grass clippings, if free of synthetic chemicals
Evergreen clippings
Straw, hay and leaves
Vacuum dust
Animal manure [not dog and cat]
Scrumpled paper
Method
Mix in whatever ingredients you have available, balancing green,
sappy matter with dry, fibrous material. Pack loosely, so you introduce
air to the heap every time you add to it.
If you have a large amount of grass and no dry matter to add, read the
leaflet Grass and leaves for tips. Never tip grass clippings in a field
used by ponies as the clippings could make them ill or even kill them.
If you only have wet, kitchen scraps to add, mix in crumpled paper or
envelopes.
If you only have autumn prunings and dry, stalky material give them a
good water with the watering can.
What to avoid:
Wood shavings, branches and woodchip see woody prunings sheet for how to
deal with these
Nappies
Cleaning fluids
Cooked food and bones