Bulk up the compost heap by using your old newspapers. Follow our advice on how to make homemade compost with newspaper. It is very simple and will put the used papers to excellent use.

For even more garden advice, whether you want to start a kitchen garden or attract more flora and fauna, see The Field’s Gardens section. And we have lots of handy tips and tricks for homemade garden solutions, like our homemade compost with newspaper. Now is the time of year for hungry slugs and if your pots and plants are being plagued, follow our advice. Read how to make a homemade natural pesticide for our simple solution. Or if weeds on the patio are proving a pest, follow our advice in how to stop weeds growing on a patio. Our simple, natural solution doesn’t involve any back-breaking work. And attract fewer weeds and more wildlife to your borders with our top tips in how to stop weeds growing in borders.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE COMPOST WITH NEWSPAPER

We have reduced our magazine and newspaper intake and are now only receiving weekend newspapers and our monthly copy of The Field. I have heard that I can use the newspaper in my compost. Would you be able to tell us if this works and the best way of using it? We have had great success with the leaves in black sacks you mentioned a few years ago.
CCM, by email

Newspaper works well in compost but it needs to be shredded before it is added to the mix, otherwise it forms a mouldy, soggy mess. Compost needs an equal amount of brown composting material (newspaper) with the other half being made up of a mix of grass clippings, coffee grounds, food scraps or weeds. Leave until the mixture is well rotted; this will take longer during the cooler winter months.