Monty Don is a font of gardening knowledge; he can name pretty much any plant on sight and is bursting with tips to keep your garden in bloom. In one of the latest episodes of BBC Two’s Gardener’s World Monty Don shared compost tips, but he also had a warning.
The Gardener’s World presenter revealed in a winter garden special that compost could attract rats. Composting is a brilliant way to get rid of kitchen waste and feed your garden. However, the gardening expert warned that you need to be careful what you throw on your compost heap.
‘The real secret of compost is life to soil,’ explains Monty on the show. ‘Because compost is made by the material being digested, by bacteria and fungi and nematodes and the worms and beetles and bugs, you make it work like a recipe that you know just works and works over time,' he said.
‘So let’s look at it like a recipe,’ he continued. ‘First thing is your ingredients. You can add almost anything that’s lived to a compost heap.’
However, his compost tips come with one big exception. ‘Don’t add meat, fats or cooked material,’ he says. ‘Particularly cooked starches like potato or rice or pasta.’
‘The main reason for that is not that it won’t decompose, because it will in time, but it will so more slowly. It will attract rodents. You will get rats,’ he warned.
‘Almost everything else from the garden and the house can go on,’ he assures. ‘For example, kitchen waste like eggshells and banana skins can definitely go on.’
If you don’t have the space for a compost pile or heap or are nervous about attracting wildlife, it might be worth investing in a hot composting bin. The bin does all the hard work for you a lot quicker.
Monty Don regularly shares advice and tips on BBC Two’s Gardener's World, alongside a team of expert gardeners. The show has been running since 1960, and is bursting with ways to help gardeners build up their expertise.
-
-
Explore an historic Santa Monica mansion once home to Fleetwood Mac - on sale for $50 million
The iconic mansion was built in 1932 and features a secret speakeasy...
By Ruth Doherty •
-
Explore this Yorkshire farmhouse kitchen with its colorful cabinetry
Rich color and a bespoke breakfast area beautifully complement the kitchen in this 450-year-old Yorkshire farmhouse
By Amelia Thorpe •
-
Deck ideas – 12 creative decking ideas for your garden, patio or terrace
Decking provides a versatile and cost-effective way to extend your living area into the garden. You can create an attractive space for garden furniture, and an outdoor entertaining area, without the need for heavy-duty building work
By Jennifer Ebert •
-
How to grow bluebells
The stuff of myth and legend, these glorious flowers are true hallmarks of spring
By Homes & Gardens •
-
She shed ideas – 10 ways to turn a humble shed into a relaxing garden retreat
For many people, the garden is an extension of their home where the rules don’t apply – or where they can simply while away the hours. Discover the appeal of escaping (almost) outdoors
By Jennifer Ebert •
-
Charlie McCormick's garden design secrets – from inspirations to practicalities
Insider secrets from the famed garden designer
By Sarah Wilson •
-
Monty Don reveals his dahlia tuber planting tips – for a colorful display
The celebrity gardener shares his top tips on checking the condition of dahlia tubers, and planting them to get the most dazzling displays in the garden this year
By Rachel Crow •
-
Monty Don’s brilliantly simple tip for building raised beds in the garden
Raised beds offer endless possibilities for growing crops and flowers, and they are so easy to include thanks to this advice from the celebrity gardening expert
By Melanie Griffiths •
-
How to make a living spring wreath – in four easy steps
This teardrop-shaped DIY spring wreath is crafted with fresh bulbs that you can plant in the garden after they have bloomed
By Andrea Childs •
-
Sissinghurst rose pruning trick – this will boost your blooms
Find out why you've been pruning your roses wrong and how to do it like the professionals
By Holly Reaney •
