If your compost isn’t growing strong, healthy plants… it might be dead.
Yes, really. A lot of shop-bought and council compost looks dark and crumbly but is actually lacking life — and your plants can feel it.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to bring compost back to life using a simple, natural product: Actiferm. Whether you're using peat-free compost, green waste, or council soil improver, this method will help you turn poor compost into powerful plant fuel — without expensive bags or complicated systems.

❌ What’s Wrong With Shop-Bought or Council Compost?

You might be using compost from your local garden centre or council green waste scheme. These products are widely available — but here’s the problem:

🔥 Compost is often sterilised

To remove pests, diseases, and weed seeds, compost is usually heat-treated or chemically stabilised. This process kills the beneficial microbes too — the very organisms that make compost truly alive.

🧪 It may be biologically inactive

Even if the compost looks rich, it could be microbially dead. This means it can’t:

Break down nutrients effectively
Improve soil structure long-term
Support plant immunity and root development

🌧️ It might have dried out or sat too long

Old compost that’s been in a bag for months — especially outdoors — often becomes anaerobic or just stale. Moisture loss and oxygen deprivation stop microbes from surviving.

🧬 The Solution: Bring Your Compost Back to Life with Actiferm

If you want to supercharge your compost naturally, the best method is to reintroduce beneficial microbes.

👉 Enter: Actiferm

Actiferm is a pre-activated mix of Effective Microorganisms (EM) — beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and fungi that:

Restore microbial activity
Improve compost structure and smell
Make nutrients more available to your plants
Help suppress bad microbes and odours

✅ No brewing needed
✅ Natural & organic-friendly
✅ Safe for all plants and soils

🛠️ How to Use Actiferm on Compost (Step-by-Step)

Here’s how to revive any type of compost — whether it’s peat-free, coir-based, green waste, or council-supplied.

What You Need:

A bag or pile of compost
Actiferm liquid (available online in 2L or 20L sizes)
Non-chlorinated water (let tap water sit overnight)
Watering can or sprayer
Tarp, wheelbarrow, or container

Simple Instructions:

Dilute Actiferm
Mix 10 ml of Actiferm into 1 litre of water (1:100 dilution).
Dampen the Compost
Lightly moisten the compost so it feels like a wrung-out sponge.
Apply the Actiferm Solution
Pour or spray evenly over the compost surface, turning it as you go.
Mix It Well
Use a trowel, fork or your hands to distribute the microbes.
Cover and Rest
Leave the compost covered for 5–14 days. This gives the microbes time to activate and multiply.
Smell Check
When ready, your compost will have an earthy or sweet-sour smell — no rot, no chemicals. Just life.

🧠 Why This Works (And Why You Should Do It)

Healthy soil needs biology — not just bulk. Most compost sold today is missing the microbiome your plants depend on. That’s why gardeners across the UK are now using compost inoculants like Actiferm to:

Improve garden soil naturally
Fix lifeless compost without waste
Support strong, healthy plant roots
Reduce reliance on chemical feeds
Help their vegetables, herbs, and flowers thrive

You don’t need to be a soil scientist — just give your compost a little life boost.

✅ Benefits of Using Actiferm on Compost

🌿 Reactivates old or sterile compost
🌼 Makes green waste compost usable again
🦠 Restores essential soil microbes
🌍 Supports organic and no-dig gardening
♻️ Helps you recycle compost, not replace it
💧 Improves water retention and structure

Whether you’re growing tomatoes on a balcony or running a community garden, Actiferm helps compost work the way nature intended.

Available in 2L box, 20L can, or bulk containers for larger growers.

👀 Want to See It in Action?

Watch Nev from Down to Earth Derby use Actiferm to revive a load of council compost that looked like dry woodchips — and turn it into a living, usable material.

🎥 Watch the full video demonstration here

💬 Final Thoughts: Fix Your Compost, Feed Your Garden

You don’t need fancy tech or expensive products to grow better. You just need life in your compost. With Actiferm, you can make that happen — quickly, naturally, and affordably.

So next time you open a bag of compost and think, “This doesn’t look right…” — you’re probably spot on.
Give it a little Actiferm, and watch your plants thank you.

🌿 How to Revive Dead Compost and Make It Work for Your Garden — Fast!