Gardener shares must try tea bag tip for composting this autumn

Gardeners have been urged to make the most of kitchen waste, including tea bags, coffee grounds, and vegetable peelings, to benefit their gardens this autumn.

Gardeners are being urged to utilise kitchen waste like tea bags, coffee grounds, and potato peelings to enrich their gardens this autumn. With a wealth of garden waste generated by the season, it's the perfect opportunity to start or rejuvenate a home composting system, which can help reduce household waste and enhance soil health.

Laura from the Young Growers Club shared her expertise on TikTok with a video guide on setting up a compost bin, detailing the best items to include for creating nutrient-dense compost. "Let me show you how to set up a composter," she says in the video, as she places her composter in a sunny area of her garden.

She mentions that her bin has a base, eliminating the need for additional layers underneath, but suggests using cardboard at the bottom for bins without bases to aid drainage and prevent weeds. Laura then demonstrates how to create a base layer, choosing woodchips, although sticks, cardboard, or dried leaves could also work.

Laura advises adding some healthy garden soil to the mix: "Because this is my first batch of compost, I'm going to add in some healthy soil from the garden. Doing this helps to speed up the composting process." Laura also provides advice based on what's available in your home and garden. For instance, she points out how red worms, which she discovered in her "decomposing grass pile", aid in breaking down organic matter, reports the Mirror.

She chose to add some of this worm-rich grass to her compost bin to enhance the process. After incorporating the grass and worms into the bin, she adds "green and brown layers" of organic material.

"For the green layer I've gone for some food waste and fresh garden waste," Laura states as she throws in spoilt apples and vegetable peelings. The green layer contains nitrogen-rich materials that assist with decomposition.

"For the brown layer, I went for some more woodchip and shredded paper," she continues, explaining that the brown layer offers carbon-rich materials, which are crucial for balancing the compost. Even though her materials were already damp, she added a bit of extra moisture to facilitate the breakdown.

Finally, Laura uses an aeration tool to thoroughly mix the compost, allowing proper airflow, which accelerates the process. "And that's it, all ready for autumn garden clearing," she concludes.