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Nigel Peterson-White

Luddenden Allotment, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Growing healthy plants goes hand in hand with healthy soil. And while the art of composting has been around for millennia, recent technological advances and growing trials proved that with living compost, we can achieve astonishing results in the grow beds. In the small village of Luddenden, local gardener Nigel Peterson-White has taken advantage of the green waste and created a series of composting bins from recycled materials. The native soil on his allotment originally had to be dug out and improved over several years. It was described as fertile but heavy, wet clay that warms up slowly in spring and dries hard in summer, becoming waterlogged in autumn and winter. As of autumn 2022, a no-dig method rules the plot, and the amount of compost needed is almost entirely created on-site. Nigel’s setup allows him to compost the allotment waste and add autumn leaves from village paths and communal spaces. Woodchip from a local tree surgeon was added as a cap when the bins became full to aid insulation. After 18 months, the final product is brown and chunky, perfect for mulching fruit bushes and trees. Three more bins made from old decking were recently added to the plot, giving him another six cubic metres of composting potential. For those who have a composting obsession like Nigel, this is like owning a treasure chest, just a lot better since it can produce nutritious and tasty food!

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Author

Vegetable grower, natural beekeeper and edible spaces designer. Lover of all soil and urban farming techniques. Former head of growing at Incredible Aquagarden.