101 things you can compost

[Annpan]

My OH wants me to put a wee list up so that he doesn't need to ask what can be put in our compost heap - we are moving to a house with a garden (and an open fire) and bless his cotton socks, he is a bit lost... even more than I am .

I have started with the most obvious...

1. fruit and veg peelings, cores, etc

2. cardboard and newspaper (ripped up)

3. grass cuttings and prunings from plants

4. tea bags

5. egg shells



Can you compost the contents of the dyson/ hoover bag?

I know you can't do carnivorous poo or cooked food

[Thomzo]

Try to mix up your grass cuttings with something else. Shredded paper is good, otherwise they just mush into a slimy mess or dry out and form straw.

You can put the contents of the hoover in there, but be aware that if you've vacuumed up anything non bio-degradable it will go into the heap.

Crush your egg shells.

You'll find that some peelings, like citrus and bananas won't rot down easily so best to chop up small or mix your heap regularly to chop it down.

Chuck in any worms, slugs and snails that you come across as well, they will help to break it all down.

Have fun with your muck.
Zoe

[Muddypause]

My OH wants me to put a wee list up

Yup - wee can go on the list, too.

[the.fee.fairy]

Ash from your fire can go in
Small animal bedding (wood shavings, paper based cat litter, the j-clothy stuff etc)

Old natural fibre clothing - woolens and cottons

Same goes for bits of natural fibre carpet - but they're really best for using to smother weeds first, then put in the compost when they're rotted.

The coconut mat thingys that you get for the front/back door

The coconut husk hanging basket liners

* You can compost human excrement (and dog and cat) but it is recommended that it is done separately from the other compost. Have a look for Humanure. Its quite an interesting process. Along the same lines, you can use wee on your heap, as already recommended, and you can use menstrual blood watered down as fertiliser as well.

It depends on the type of composter you have. you can get a green cone that will allow you to compost cooked foods, raw meat, fish and bone, that you can't put in a veg composter.

[Helsbells]

Can you not put cooked veg in the compost? I have been!! Why cant you?

[the.fee.fairy]

cooked veg breaks down differently, and it can attract vermin.

That seems to be the sole reason. If you've been composting successfully using cooked veg, then carry on! Just keep an eye out for the vermin problem.

[Ranter]

Human, & presumably pet, hair.

B/F bought some clippers & let me loose on his hair the other week. A cold head might explain why he now has a rotten cold, but anyway, the hair clippings can be composted.

[possum]

The dags from having sheep sheared (the crappy bits from next to the bum that you really don't want to do anything with)

[Cornelian]

Kitty litter of the recycled kind (minus the droppings). (Already mentioned, sorry!)

The contents of your vacuum cleaner as it is mostly dust and hair.

I have also put sawdust into mine as well although I know some people don't like to do this.

Kitchen paper towels.

[revdode]

Old bills, bank statements and addressed junk mail. I don't like putting these in the recycling and being a Scot I'm too mean to buy a crosscut shredder. Instead I use them as dry filler for my compost bin, this tends to the wet and wormy end of compost making. Once turned under the compost a couple of times they really aren't that pleasant to handle.

[ina]

I try not to compost potato peelings and old potatoes. Apart from being responsible for tatties growing all over your plot in the end, they might also spread blight, if some of the waste you've composted was infected.

[hamster]

Can you compost coffee grounds?

[ina]

Yep, complete with the filter bag if you are using one! And teabags, of course.

[possum]

Yes you can compost coffee grounds, however that would be a waste. We have an agreement with the local cafe to take all their coffee grounds.
We use them directly into the soil to increase their moisture holdin capacity, we also spread them on the areas where we only have shingle as top soil and I also add them into the compost I buy for pot plants. I also use it as a mulch
Wonderful stuff don't just compost it

[hamster]

Do you think my sickly looking coriander would like some?