Composting for beginners: turn kitchen scraps into free plant food

Composting is the easiest win on any plot or garden. Mix ‘greens’ (veg peelings, coffee grounds, grass cuttings) with ‘browns’ (cardboard, dry leaves, shredded paper) in roughly equal amounts.

Keep the heap as damp as a wrung-out sponge and give it a turn every few weeks. In six to twelve months you’ll have dark, crumbly compost that feeds your soil for free.

Avoid cooked food, meat and dairy, which attract pests. If you don’t have space, ask about shared compost bays at your local allotment.