Cutting feedstock down to size

Although many composters on the allotment just throw their plant waste on the compost pile thick pieces can take a long time to decompose,  it is better to expose the maximum surface area to the compost microbes by cutting brassica stalks etc into short lengths and then  crushing them using a hammer.  In the case of longer plants cutting  them into short lengths  saves effort in the future when turning them during the composting process. We have just had a large bergamot plant delivered which required the use of long loppers to cut the thickest stalks, while the thinner pieces could be cut using garden shears. Shears with extending handles  saves bending when the bin is only part full.