How to Compost with Hortiwool: A Natural Way to Nourish Your Garden

Composting is one of the most effective and environmentally friendly ways to reduce household waste. It also creates a nutrient-rich soil improver for your garden. By recycling organic matter into compost, you not only cut down on rubbish going to landfill but also give your plants a natural boost. Most people are familiar with composting fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and garden cuttings.  However, not everyone realises that wool is also a fantastic addition to the compost heap.

At Hortiwool, we know the incredible properties of wool and how beneficial it can be when returned to the earth. In this blog, we’ll explore how composting with wool works. As well as why it nourishes the soil, and how you can use Hortiwool Garden Pads to make your composting journey even more effective.

Why Wool is Perfect for Composting

Wool is a natural, compostable fibre that breaks down over time in the compost heap. As it decomposes, it releases valuable nutrients into the soil. Including nitrogen, sulphur, and potassium – all of which are essential for strong, healthy plant growth.

Unlike synthetic materials, wool is made entirely of protein (keratin), which provides a slow-release source of nitrogen. This means that compost enriched with wool feeds the soil gradually. Improving fertility over a longer period. For gardeners looking for a sustainable way to enrich their compost, wool is an ideal choice.

Another benefit of composting with wool is its ability to improve moisture retention. Wool fibres hold water, helping your compost heap maintain the right balance of moisture. This is particularly useful during drier months, when compost heaps can quickly dry out and slow the decomposition process.

How Wool Breaks Down in Compost

The natural structure of wool allows it to compost over time. While it won’t vanish as quickly as vegetable peelings, this slower breakdown is actually an advantage. It provides a steady trickle of nutrients into the compost. It also helps create a balanced mix of fast-decomposing and slow-decomposing materials.

When mixed into a compost heap with “greens” (such as food scraps and grass cuttings) and “browns” (like cardboard and dry leaves), wool acts as a useful middle ground. It helps balance nitrogen levels, encourages microbial activity, and aerates the compost heap as the fibres break down.

Using Hortiwool Garden Pads in Your Compost

Hortiwool Garden Pads are a simple and effective way of introducing wool into your composting routine. Once your pads have been well-used in the garden – for example, as mulch, frost protection, or weed control – they can still be returned to the earth via your compost heap.

Here are a few practical tips for using them:

• Tear into smaller pieces: Before adding them to your compost, cut or rip the pads into smaller sections. This increases the surface area, helping them to break down more quickly.

• Mix with greens and browns: Layer the wool evenly throughout your compost heap to prevent clumping. Aim to mix it in with a good variety of other compostable materials.

• Add gradually: Wool is nitrogen-rich, so adding it in stages rather than all at once will help maintain a balanced compost mix.

By the time your Hortiwool Garden Pads have broken down, they will have released valuable nutrients. They will have also improved the texture of your compost. Creating a crumbly, fertile mix that your plants will love.

Other Benefits of Composting with Wool

Aside from providing nutrients and moisture balance, wool brings several other advantages to your composting process and garden as a whole:

• Sustainability: By using wool, you’re making full use of a natural material and ensuring nothing goes to waste. This is in line with the principles of circular gardening. Returning what you’ve used back into the soil.

• Soil structure improvement: As wool fibres decompose, they help improve the texture and structure of your compost. Once applied to the garden, this improves soil aeration and water retention.

• Pest deterrence: Some gardeners find that wool in compost or as a mulch can deter slugs and snails. As it breaks down, the texture becomes less effective for this, but it’s a nice added benefit in the early stages.

• Slow-release feeding: Wool releases nutrients over time. This provides a more balanced and long-term source of nutrition for your plants.

Using Wool in the Garden Beyond Composting

While composting with wool is a brilliant way to recycle your Hortiwool Garden Pads, it’s also worth remembering that wool has many uses in the garden before it reaches the compost heap. From protecting seedlings against frost, to mulching around plants to suppress weeds, or lining hanging baskets to retain moisture, wool is an incredibly versatile material.

Once your pads are no longer needed in these roles, simply add them to your compost bin, and they’ll continue working hard for your garden in a new way.

Using wool in the garden is one of the most sustainable choices you can make, and composting is the perfect way to close the loop. By adding wool to your compost heap, you’re recycling a natural material, enriching your soil, and supporting healthier, more productive plants.

With Hortiwool Garden Pads, you can enjoy the many practical benefits of wool in your garden and then return them to the earth when they’ve served their purpose. Creating a truly sustainable cycle.

So next time you’re tending to your compost heap, don’t forget to give wool a place in the mix. Your soil (and your plants) will thank you for it.