Rosemary Leach of Plymouth in Devon: There is a tide of orange peel encroaching on our back yard. Should we buy or build a small compost maker for our tiny garden?

Pippa: Citrus peel is an ingredient that many of us try not to add to the compost heap, even in smaller quantities, because it tends to make compost very acidic. There are a lot of oils in the skin, and quite often there are also a lot of preservatives, waxes and chemicals impregnated into the skin as well. I don't suppose it would harm trying, but I don't think it will work very well. My mother's always included orange peel in the compost heap, and it breaks down fine, it's just what it does to the overall nature of the compost and the organisms that will and won't live healthily in it.

Bunny: It's going to unbalance the compost heap unless you've got massive quantities of other things like grass clippings, or you add lots of lime.

Anne: I put lemon and orange peel in our compost, but it is such a tiny percentage of the total volume that it's not worth worrying about. If it's a small compost bin, and a disproportionate amount of citrus peel, just throw it away.

Bunny: But for the person who wanted a small composting bin, I think a wormery would be fantastic. They're a very small, really efficient method of composting, ideal for household waste, and you can put it just outside the back door.