Image Credit: Manfred Antranias Zimmer
It's always a good time to start composting! No matter what time of year you start to compost, the material will start to break down and produce lovely organic matter for you to put back onto your garden, when it comes time to plant or mulch.
Composters don't need to be expensive - you can get a basic one from around Ā£35 and many local councils in the UK offer a basic compost bin at a discounted price or even free of charge, so it it is worth checking on the Get Composting website before you buy your own.
However you might need one that is bigger, or want one that is a bit more attractive than a plain black "Dalek"! Composters on the whole, are not terribly pretty; but there are a few more attractive, natural wood composters that are reasonably priced as well.
There are also some composters that are designed to make your waste compost more quickly, and even pop-up compostes which can help if you occasionally have a lot of material to compost, but don't want an extra permanent composter.
So if you need to buy your own composter or if you've outgrown your first one, here is a selection of the different types of composters available in the UK.
This attractive and affordable Beehive Compost Bin is made from pressure treated softwood and can be left in it's natural finish, varnished or painted.
It will hold up to 250L of compost, has a door at the bottom for you to retrieve you compost and a lift-up lid to make it really easy to fill.
From Two Wests & Elliot
If you need a supersized composter, the Thermo-Wood 600 Litre Compost Bin could be just what you are looking for.
Made from specially-engineered ThermolenĀ® - a Foamed High Density Polyethelene - which offers outstanding insulation, the Thermo-Wood Composter provides extra heat retention to aid faster composting.
It als to is made to look like wood so that it blends in more naturally with your garden.
From Amazon and Evengreener
Tumbling your compost will speed up the rate of composting enormously. In fact the Mantis Mobile Compost Tumbler can help you make usable compost in just 4-6 weeks.
The wheeled frame means that you can bring the composter over to where you are working and put your clippings straight in. The large lid makes it easy to remove your composted material as well. The capacity of this composter is 140L.
From Two Wests & Elliot
If you are frustrated by the amount of time it takes to compost your garden and kitchen waste, the Aerobin Hot Composter might just be tha answer that you are looking for. In a choice of 200L 400L and 600L sizes, it consists of a collector bin, and a second "aeration lung" which ensures that the microorganisms which break down the compostable waste have the optimum mix of water and gases to make your compost form as quickly as possible.
The speed that the breakdown of waste occurs at creates a lot of heat, hence the name.
From Original Organics
The Subpod Classic is a hybrid composter and wormery, that can also be used as a garden seat! The Subpod needs to be buried with 90% underneath ground level.
This means that you can not only compost garden waste, paper and fruit and vegetable peelings, you can also add smaller amounts of meat, citrus, dairy and spicier foods.
If you do not have wormery worms already, you will need to order them alongside your composter.
From Two Wests & Elliot and Amazon.
The Green Johanna 330 Litre Compost Bin is a large bin which is also a food digester. It can gobble up lots of garden waste and biodegrade your household food waste as well into valuable compost.
The kit provided includes the outer container, lid and a base plate as well as a wooden aerator/stirrer. You can also purchase separately a fitted winter jacket to keep in heat so that you can compost all year round.
From Evengreener
The Compost Box from Ridan is a space-age looking composter made from sturdy stainless steel. Insulated with a 3cm thick foam casing it can keep your compost warm all year round to spped up the composting process.
The metal material means that rodents can't chomp their way in, and this means that it can be used to compost all types of household food waste as well
An underfloor aeration system draws air in to the compost mixture and allows access for worms, bugs and microbes. The Ridan also includes air vents to keep your mixture aerated and a fluid outlet drain to help revent your compost going soggy.
From Ridan
Build a compost bin to suit your garden and that can grow with your needs using this ingenious modular system. Available as single, double or triple versions, you can start with just one or two modules, and add more as your requirements expand.
The Modular Composter is made from timber from managed forests, which is treated with non-toxic preservative. These composters also require assembly.
From Dobies
The CompoSphere is an iconic design. This composter has a 315 Litre capacity and because of its shape and design allows you to easily mix and tumble the contents simply by rolling it around.
And it looks a bit like a space ship has landed in your garden, and would be the most incredible fun for kids.
From Amazon and Water Butts Direct
Perfect for smaller gardens or as an emergency extra bin when you have a glut of compostable material, the Collapsible Environmental Compost Bag then easily folds away when not in use
With a handy 56L of capacity it is a boon when you have a lot of material to deal with, or you can use it to carry around with you while you are working in the garden.
From Amazon
This attractive Blackdown Beehive 5 Tier Wooden Composter is supplied in a natural unpainted state and either pre assembled or build it your self options and with a choice of 4, 5 or 6 tier designs as well.
With rustic good looks, its classic appeal belies its practical functionality as an efficient eco friendly Composter.
From Water Butts Direct.
Do you need a really BIG compost bin? The Thermo King Composter holds 900L and is thermally insulated. Made from recycled plastic, it also comes in 400L and 600L sizes.
From Amazon.co.uk.
The Lacewing Beehive Wooden Composter is an attractive beehive style composter which has a double hinged roof and is made from pine. and holds 328L of compost.
From Friendly Fungi
Tumbling your compost will increase the speed that your composted items break down - it has the same effect as digging your compost heap over - but without the back-breaking work!
With a capacity of 190L, The Terra Heavy Duty Compost Tumble can be rotated 2-3 times a week and composting time can be vastly reduced. The compost is kept moist in hot weather too.
From Selections
The Blackwall Compost Converter is good, basic and affordable composter which is available in black or green and with a 220L and 330L capacity. This is the type that your local council is most likely to offer you at a heavily subsidised price.
From Amazon.co.uk and Evengreener
You can make your gardening even greener by harvesting rainwater to keep your garden green and pleasant. Here are a selection of our favourite Water Butts that are so attractive they will be a feature in your garden.
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