How to make compost at home
Turn garden waste and vegetable peelings into free, crumbly compost that improves your soil. The secret is a good mix of 'greens' and 'browns'.
- Time
- 30 minutes to set up; 6 months to 2 years to make compost
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Low cost
- Steps
- 6
- Checked
What you’ll need
- Compost bin (many councils sell them at a discount) Search Amazon for compost bin 330 litre
- Garden fork for turning
- Kitchen caddy for peelings Search Amazon for kitchen compost caddy
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Safety first
- Don't add meat, fish, dairy or cooked food: they attract rats. Many councils collect these in food waste bins instead.
- Avoid perennial weed roots (such as bindweed and couch grass) and weeds with seeds, as a home heap may not get hot enough to kill them.
- Don't compost dog or cat poo or cat litter.
- Wear gloves when handling compost, and wash your hands afterwards.
Step by step
-
Step 1: Choose a spot
Put the bin in a sheltered, shady spot, ideally directly on soil so worms and other creatures can get in and excess water can drain away. A bin is tidier and more efficient than an open heap.
Next: step 2 -
Step 2: Add 'greens'
Greens are soft, moist, nitrogen-rich materials: grass clippings, vegetable and fruit peelings, tea bags (check they're plastic-free), coffee grounds, annual weeds and spent bedding plants.
Next: step 3 -
Step 3: Add 'browns'
Browns are dry, woody materials that add carbon and air: cardboard and egg boxes (torn up), shredded paper, straw, fallen leaves, and chopped woody prunings.
Next: step 4 -
Step 4: Get the balance right
The RHS suggests about 25 to 50% soft green material and the rest brown. Mix them as you go, rather than adding thick layers of one thing. Grass clippings on their own turn into a slimy, smelly mess.
Next: step 5 -
Step 5: Keep it moist and give it air
The heap should be damp, like a wrung-out sponge. Water it in dry weather. If you can, turn it with a fork several times a year to let air in and speed things up. If you can't, it will still compost, just more slowly.
Next: step 6 -
Step 6: Know when it's ready
Garden compost takes six months to two years, faster in warm weather. It's ready when it's dark brown, crumbly and smells like a damp woodland floor. Dig it out from the bottom of the bin and use it as a mulch or dig it into beds.
Tips
- Wet and smelly? Add more browns, such as scrunched-up cardboard, and cover the heap to keep rain off.
- Dry and nothing happening? Add more greens and water it.
- Leaves rot down slowly. Pile them separately in bin bags with a few holes to make leaf mould, which is excellent for mulching.
- Check your council's website for discounted compost bins.
Questions people ask
Will a compost bin attract rats?
Not usually, if you leave out meat, fish, dairy and cooked food and keep the heap moist. Rats prefer dry, undisturbed heaps.
Can I compost cardboard?
Yes. Plain cardboard is a useful brown material. Remove tape and avoid glossy or plastic-coated card.
What is the difference between compost and leaf mould?
Compost is made from mixed garden and kitchen waste. Leaf mould is just rotted leaves, which takes longer but makes a lovely soil conditioner.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026. We wrote this guide in our own words, using:
- RHS: composting (rhs.org.uk)
- South Kesteven District Council: home composting (southkesteven.gov.uk)
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