Compost Corner

Peat bogs are important habitats and valuable stores of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

  •  
  • Close Thanks for liking this page. Tell us why by adding a comment at the bottom.
Compost Corner, Wakehurst Place

Compost Corner (Image: Chris Clennett, RBG Kew)

The use of peat, primarily as a potting compost, has damaged or destroyed 94% of the the UK’s peat bogs. Kew took the decision to stop using peat in 1989, except for carnivorous plants that cannot be grown in any other medium. It now uses peat substitute for potting and makes home-grown compost and mulches at Kew and Wakehurst Place using waste plant matter from the Gardens.

On the eastern boundary of Wakehurst Place, close to the Iris Dell, is Compost Corner. This is where waste material from the estate is piled into heaps, mixed with manure and left to rot down. Wakehurst also has a partnership with Ashdown Forest to compost bracken. The forest workers gather up bracken waste each year, to help regenerate heather plants there, and bring it to the estate. When rotted down in Compost Corner this provides a ready supply of acidic compost useful for mulching acid-loving rhododendrons and improving the soil across the estate.

Compost Corner allows visitors to look into the compost heap complex, with its turning and sorting machinery. The piles of prunings and dead leaves are set out in rows and turned regularly throughout summer to help them decompose. They are left to mature through the autumn months. Stacks can be seen in varying stages of decomposition, from weeds and raw clippings to rich dark mulch. Wooden boxes at the entrance of Compost Corner contain envelopes and sandwich wrappers, which also rot down over time.

Kids’ mission

It’s not only Wakehurst Place that can make a difference by making its own compost. Organic material that is buried in landfill sites generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. So, by composting your own waste, you can help prevent climate change. If your school or home doesn’t already have a compost bin, encourage your teachers and parents to set one up. If you already have access to a compost bin, make sure all organic waste, such as apple peelings, egg shells and tea bags goes into it (don’t forget to add the leftovers from any fruit you eat while at Wakehurst Place). After six months or so you’ll have fresh garden mulch to help your plants grow. 

 

No comments on 'Compost Corner'

Related Tags

  1. english garden
  2. innovative
  3. around the world
  4. adventurous
  5. successful
  6. irreplaceable
  7. ground breaking
  8. amazing
  9. beautiful
  10. creative
  11. imaginative
  12. inspiring
  13. exotic
  14. for kids
  15. fun
  16. popular
  17. interesting
  18. english heritage
  19. historical
  20. romantic
  21. ancient
  22. rare
  23. active
  24. landscapes
  25. discovered
  26. old
  27. unusual
  28. high
  29. challenging
  30. donate
  31. for friends
  32. gifts that help
  33. the UK
  34. treasures
  35. at risk
  36. endangered
  37. fragile
  38. sustainable
  39. useful
  40. brand new
  41. special interest
  42. powerful
  43. high up
  44. ornamental
  45. pretty
  46. Kew at home
  47. wet
  48. extraordinary
  49. hot
  50. wild
  51. rare
  52. flowering

Your Kew

We invite photographers to capture the sights at Kew and Wakehurst. These images are a selection of images submitted by photographers from around the world. We hope you enjoy them. You can see more on Flickr.

Fact Box


Adult male gecko forages at fruits of Roussea simplex

Roussea simplex

Restricted to the island of Mauritius, Roussea simplex is a critically endangered shrub or liana that is pollinated by a gecko.

Find out more about this species

See your favourite reasons to visit