Why not get your root vegetables and garden weeds to do all the hard work this year by simply composting, for a better quality soil that'll be enriched with goodness for all your new growth

You may now be planning new beds and borders for your garden this year, but before any planting takes place you need to enrich your soil and there's no better way of doing that than making your own compost.

All soil will benefit from a generous addition of compost, either dug in to your existing soil or used on the surface as a mulch, which also helps suppress weeds and retain moisture.

It will open up heavy soils to encourage drainage while making light, free-draining soils more moisture retentive.

Some local authorities are so pro-active in encouraging all manner of recycling that they will provide residents with compost bins. You just need to ring your council to check.

Research has shown that you need at least 4.5kg (10lb) per square metre of well-rotted organic material just to maintain the organic content of the soil and more if you want to improve it. But where do you start?

If you only have a small quantity of waste matter, you may be better off with a small compost bin. Most are plastic with a lid but no base and the waste is able to heat up quickly.

But if you want a larger quantity you can compost it in a purpose built compost heap with sides made of wooden slats or netting wire and a wooden post at each corner.

Suitable materials for composting include annual weeds that haven't formed seed, leafy softwood prunings, old bedding plants, autumn leaves and grass clippings. You can also add ground lime, wood ashes and any manure. Of course, fruit and vegetable peelings and such like can also be used but I tend to steer clear of meat, fat and bones as these materials attract rats.

Other people have added all manner of items which once lived feather pillows, woollen clothes, cotton underwear and vacuum cleaner dust, which all break down although it's best to not put anything in too thick a layer and try to keep it moist.

Grass cuttings should be used sparingly as they can become slimy and should be put in layers no deeper than 5cm (2in) and sandwiched between layers of more coarse material.

Don't add tough perennial weeds such as ground elder, thistles and nettles as their roots are likely to survive and will spread with your compost.

Also, avoid tough woody prunings or the stems of herbaceous plants which take a long time to rot down.

To speed up the rotting process, add compost ingredients in 15cm (6in) layers, wetting the material if dry, before covering the surface with a bucketful of garden soil or animal manure, which provides essential bacteria to help the pile rot.

Alternatively, sprinkle a handful of sulphate of ammonia over the heap to provide nitrogen or a compost activator product.

Once the heap is full, don't add anything else or it will just delay the rotting process.

A well-made, free-standing compost heap should take between six to 12 months to rot down sufficiently that the compost is ready to use. You will know when it's ready because it should resemble a crumbly, wonderfully rich peat-like humus which will do your soil the world of good.