Use more compost to beat hosepipe bans, gardeners told

The Association is holding its Compost Awareness Week from May 7 to May 13 this year, which will include hundreds of events across Britain to promote the benefits of composting.

” Home-produced compost or high quality compost purchased from reputable producers will go along way to helping people’s gardens bloom this summer. “
– Dr Jane Gilbert, Composting Association
Three water companies have now brought in hosepipe bans in the South East – including Thames Water, which provides water for eight million homes.

The solution to dry gardens could be to nourish plants using home-produced compost, or compost made from green waste collected from households, according to the Composting Association. However, this needs to be done before the weather gets much hotter and soils dry out, it added.

Dr Jane Gilbert, chief executive of the Composting Association, said: “As a gardener myself I am aware of the problems that will be caused by a hosepipe ban. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Home-produced compost or high quality compost purchased from reputable producers will go along way to helping people’s gardens bloom this summer.

Useful
Dr Gilbert added: “Compost is an extremely useful and environmentally friendly product. We at The Composting Association are keen to encourage as many people as possible to compost as a way of recycling and reusing resources. By applying some compost to their gardens now, we hope that gardeners will realise just how much they, and the environment, can benefit from this simple activity.”

This year's Composting Awareness Week has the theme “Add power to your flowers…Compost!”, and will include home composting initiatives, composting equipment sales and community composting workshops.

“The aim of the week is to make composting relevant to everyone and to emphasise the benefits of composting. Even starting your own compost bin and separating out your kitchen scraps from the rest of your household rubbish will make a positive contribution to diverting waste away from landfill. Plus, your home-made compost will make your flowers look lovely,” said Dr Gilbert.