Charlie Dimmock talks brown and greens

17:05:20 8th May 2008

Gardening expert Charlie Dimmock has given advice on how to obtain the perfect compost.

Speaking to online resource SmartPlanet.com, she suggests that there are two distinct groups of waste when it comes to compost.

Firstly, there are "greens", which includes fruit, vegetable peelings, leaves and grass.

Secondly, there are "browns", which consist of egg shells and boxes, teabags, scrunched up newspaper, twigs and coffee grounds.

Too many greens can result in compost being too sludgy and as such horticultural enthusiasts should ensure that they include enough browns, Ms Dimmock notes.

Placing a compost bin in a warm corner - which could be provided by a greenhouse or glasshouse - helps to speed up the composting process, she continues.

Concluding, Ms Dimmock states that compost can help the garden in many ways, by making it retain moisture in the summer and drain in the winter.

Meanwhile, sector commentator Jane Perrone recently wrote in the online pages of the Guardian that composting can be "strangely addictive".