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use it around acid-loving (ericaceous) plants. Tracy, for mulching acid-loving plants I'd probably choose a composted bark product rather than a normal peat-free potting compost. I believe this will help lower the soil pH and make it slightly more acid

making compost successfully for a number of years , but this year when turning over one of my heaps, I have been disgusted to find dozens of large beige slugs! Are they doing the business of breaking down the compost or are they inhibiting the work

manure early in the winter leave it exposed for the frosts,weather and the worms do the hard work The slugs are asleep at the moment I have heavy soil. I try to stand on it as little as possible, it is a work in progress. I put down compost anything

taken down by worms to improve the soil. At this time of year, when perennial plants are putting on such a burst of new growth, I also make sure they don't go short of water. Adding a liquid feed a couple of times a year also helps.It has been

what can I do with realy bad clay in my garden which holds a lot of water when it rains Lots of added compost which will help break it down a little over the years.  I have used a mixture of mushroom compost and horse manure over the years just

for about 5 years, buying 20 sacks of spent mushroom compost, costing on average ??2 a sack. This was laid as a mulch in the autumn and early spring, and gently forked in. With worms doing their bit the soil gradually lightened up,and now is in really good

One of my "Green Daleks" - plastic composters really - is home to a whole family of slow worms, Kate. They are very beautiful. I was just this morning showing another volunteer at the Botanic Garden the good slugs, which were out in force today

's croquet lawn - although they reappeared in the herbaceous border. Come to think of it, I was probably put down on his parliamentary expenses!On the plus side, the soil in molehills is excellent for making your own potting composts.

.In the meantime, hungry birds will make short work of seedheads and do a much better job of finding slug and snail eggs than I ever could. The frogs will bed down in their hibernaculum and among leaf piles, and the mouse, worms, slugs and beetles will stay warm

and garden in Brasil, on heavy clay. Good compost is hard to buy here, so I make my own using all the things mentioned in other comments.I have constructed secure wire bins,to keep out monkeys, snakes and rats. The contents of the bins decompose quickly