6 Tips for Composting Down Your Spent Crops

Last Updated on August 16, 2023 by Real Men Sow

tips for composting down your spent crops

Now Autumn is here, I’ve begun the process of clearing down my veg beds. Even on the smallest of plots, there can be a wide range of plants that need disposing of down, with some even provide a little challenge along the way.

Just this year, I’ve worked up a sweat yanking out a well-rooted courgette and channeled my inner puzzle solver trying to retrieve tangled squash runners without pulling everything else up that they’ve grabbed on to!

I like to reflect and make mental notes as I clear each plant. It’s the perfect time to observe how they grew, the levels of success, and what I might do better next year. If you can note this down all the better, as unlike me, you then might remember all the useful information for next year!

One thing you’ll soon realise is that clearing down the beds creates a big volume of stuff to dispose of. I’m always amazed by the size of the pile that I’m left with at the end of this particular job.

The best place for your dead plants is the compost bin. Remnants of old plants, dead leaves, and unwanted pruning’s provide an excellent ‘brown’ to a compost mix, contributing a useful source of carbon to the decomposing process.

Here are 6 tips for composting down your spent crops.

Keep the Mix Consistent

Don’t overdo the combination though – a good compost mix should be equal parts green and brown, so try to match what you put in with the same amount of grass cuttings and kitchen scraps. If you sense that all the plants are going to make for a sloppy mix, add in scrunched up pieces of paper or strips of cardboard. Some leaf mould or compost will also help create a good consistency.

Dig Out the Bottom of the Bin

If you’re running out of room in your compost bin, dig out some compost from the bottom and store it in old, plastic compost bags. This will finish the decomposition a treat, and give you more space to compost down your plants.

Keep the Infected Plants Out of the Bin

Avoid adding any infected fruit and plants to the bin. This will spread infection amongst the compost and is particularly important for potatoes as they are effectively still alive so continue to harbour blight long after harvesting. This will increase the chance of disease in your compost should a tuber decide to regrow in the cosy compost environment the following Spring.

The best place for disposing of these crops is Council green waste bins either at home or the local tip, as Council composting facilities will reach the temperature required to kill off most diseases.

Subject to plot rules, you can also treat yourself to a little bonfire to dispose of anything bad (and any surplus good bits if you like). You can’t beat a bonfire on a chilly Autumn afternoon.

Peas and Beans

If you’ve grown any peas or beans, chop the plants off a few inches above the ground for composting, and let the roots and base rot down into the soil. Peas and beans contain lots of good nutrients for the soil.

Chop Up the Thick Stuff

Before adding to the bin, chop up thicker plant stems with a spade so they don’t take too long to rot down. Use a spade to reduce the stems to 6-inch lengths.

Weeds

And keep any weeds away from your precious compost mix! I know potholders who compost down everything, including their weeds, but I prefer to keep my compost bins free of weeds as I reckon they’re perfect environments for the critters to revitalize and end up back in your soil.

Time to Refresh

It’s been a while since this post was updated, so like any good gardener I wanted to go back over some old ground and refresh it a little.
I will start by adding in some additional information which I have learned since I first wrote this one to help all you keen composters out there!

Grass Clippings

Do you use any fertilizer or sprays on your grass? If so, it would be best to leave it for as long as possible before using the grass clippings in your compost bin.
The reason is that the chemicals aren’t ideal for use in the compost. Ideally, you want clean and fresh grass clippings which are not too wet.

Should I Compost the Grass Clippings?

If you stay on top of your lawn care routine and cut often, it could even be better not to put your grass clippings into the compost bin.
The clippings can be a great way to naturally fertilize the lawn, but they must be small. Anything which is overly long will make the lawn look a mess and also take too long to degrade by itself.
You could always do a first run over the lawn with your mower to take the majority of the length off and compost those clippings. Then, on a second run, remove the grass collection box and allow the very short, well cut clippings to remain on the lawn.

The Best Type of Mower to Use

As with all things garden related, there are a huge number of options to choose from when it comes to lawn mowers.
It used to be the case that petrol mowers were the best and most popular, with electric models not up to the job. But with modern technology, cordless electric mowers are now common and do an excellent job.
You only have to look at some reviews of them online like this one to find that people are loving them.
They’re quiet, easy to maintain, cleaner for the environment and easier to use. It’s only a matter of time before they outnumber petrol machines. For home use anyway, not in a commercial sense. Not yet anyway!
OK, so that sums up what I wanted to add for now. I have it on my to-do list to continue updating some of the older content to refresh it and add some more handy tips in.

Real Men Sow
Real Men Sow

Hello, I’m Pete and I’m currently based in the west of Scotland, in a small place called Rosneath, where I’m exploring my garden adventures. I personally started gardening around 6 years ago and initially, I started out by growing my favorite fruits and berries, such as strawberries, Raspberries & Gooseberries. Since then I’ve added a lot of vegetables and working closely with my neighbor, it’s been a lot of fun.

4 thoughts on “6 Tips for Composting Down Your Spent Crops”

  1. Too much worry about weeds!.. If these are first stored in a barrel of water so that they are partly rotted down then they can safely be added to the compost bin. Waste not want not.

  2. This is such a handy guide. Many people don’t think to use their dead plants for compost, even though in some ways it is so obvious. Thanks for sharing!

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