Uses for compost

Compost can be used on all soil where feeding and conditioning is needed. If you grow vegetables, compost should be added to the soil in spring and summer. Bushes and trees will enjoy compost spread around them every three to five years.

Compost is good for greedy, leafy herbs like chives, parsley and mint. But if you feed flowering plants too much you will get lots of leaves, but no blooms!

House plants like compost because their roots are confined but if you want flowers and leaves add soil too. Mix compost about half-and-half with soil for planting seeds and put any weed seedlings in your compost bin.

The following species are easy to grow from seed and will attract more wildlife to your garden: hollyhocks, snapdragons, marigolds, fennel, sunflowers, borage, foxgloves and flowering tobacco.