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Composting: What to Put In and What to Keep Out
Composting is a great way to turn your organic waste into nutrient-rich soil for your garden. But what exactly can you compost, and what should you avoid?
What to Put in a Compost Bin
- Organic materials: Anything made from living things, such as grass clippings, tree leaves, vegetable scraps, and paper products.
- Safe materials: Grass clippings, tree leaves, vegetable food scraps (like coffee grounds, lettuce, and potato peels), black and white newspaper, printer paper, most disease-free yard waste, cardboard, vegetarian animal manure (from cows, horses, rabbits, etc.), and wood shavings or sawdust.
Things to Consider Before Composting
- Non-vegetarian manure: Manure from animals that eat meat, such as dogs, cats, pigs, and humans, can contain harmful bacteria. Make sure your compost pile gets very hot to kill these microbes.
- Invasive weeds: Weeds like creeping charlie and Canada thistle can spread even from small pieces of plant material. Composting these weeds won’t hurt your compost, but it could help spread them to other parts of your yard.
- Food scraps with animal products: Food scraps with small amounts of eggs, dairy, or fats can attract pests like raccoons, rats, and opossums. If your compost bin has a lid, you won’t have any issues. But if it’s open, you may want to keep these items out.
- Color newspaper: Color newspapers are printed with soy-based ink, which is safe for composting. However, some color printed paper is coated in a thin layer of wax, which can slow down composting. Shredding the paper can help speed up the process.
What Not to Put in Garden Compost
- Diseased yard waste: Plants that have died from disease should not be composted. Composting them can spread the disease to other plants. It’s best to burn or throw away diseased yard waste.
- Meat, fat, dairy, and bones: These items can carry disease and attract animals. Even in a secure compost bin, they can be tempting enough for animals to try to damage the bin to get at them. It’s best to throw these items in the trash instead.
Tips for Successful Composting
- Mix different materials: A variety of materials will help your compost pile decompose faster and create a more balanced soil amendment.
- Keep it moist: Compost needs moisture to break down, but it shouldn’t be soggy. Aim for the consistency of a damp sponge.
- Turn your pile regularly: Turning the pile helps aerate it and speeds up decomposition. Aim to turn it every few days or weeks.
- Be patient: Composting takes time. Depending on the materials you’re using and the conditions, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to create finished compost.
By following these tips, you can create nutrient-rich compost that will help your garden thrive.
