Information About Compost Ingredients

While there are many ingredients for compost, you can’t put everything in the compost pile. Some things, like meat and fats, are simply a no no, as they can lead to odors and bacteria buildup (of the unhealthy kind). For this reason, it helps to become familiar with appropriate ingredients for compost. In this section, you will find information on the best composting materials to use in the garden as well as popular compost recipes for creating healthy soil and plant growth. Keep reading to learn more about these compost pile ingredients.

Get Started

Is Mushroom Compost Good For All Plants?

By Amy Grant

Mushroom compost is great for some plants, but some dislike it. Learn which plants would rather not get a dose of mushroom compost.

What To Do With Compostable Containers

By Amy Grant

One of the largest pollutants of our planet is plastic. Click here to learn what to do with compostable packaging.

Can You Compost Yard Waste – Ways To Compost Garden Waste

By Teo Spengler

Can you compost yard waste? Yes, you can compost yard waste together with kitchen waste as long as you look out for weeds and maintain a proper balance. If you are ready to use yard waste as compost, read on.

Can You Compost Wood Chips – Tips For Composting Wood Chips

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Are wood chips good for compost? The answer is a definite maybe. Read on to learn most about composting wood chips.

Can You Compost Straw – Is It Safe To Put Straw In Compost

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Kitchen scraps are always a winner, but you may wonder, "can I compost straw?" Read on to learn about adding straw to your compost pile.

Can I Compost My Weeds – Putting Weeds In The Compost Bin

By Mary Ellen Ellis

Can I compost my weeds? This is a typical question for beginner composters. The question is important because when adding compost to your garden beds you run the risk of introducing unwanted plants. The secret is to ensure that no viable weed seeds or roots survive the process.

Can You Compost Wine: Learn About Wine’s Effect On Compost

By Teo Spengler

know all about composting veggie peels and fruit cores, but what about composting wine? Some people swear that wine is good for compost piles, but wine’s effect on compost likely depends on how much you are adding. For more information, click this article.

Home Brew Composting Info – Can You Compost Spent Grains

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Home brewers often treat the leftover spent grains as a waste product. Can you compost spent grains? The good news is yes, but you need to manage the compost carefully to avoid a smelly mess. Learn how to do this in the following article.

Liquid Composting Tips: Can You Compost Liquids

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Most of us have at least a general idea of composting, but can you compost liquids? A good “cooking” compost pile should actually be kept moist, so liquid composting makes sense and can keep the pile of other items wet. Learn about composting liquids in this article.

Can You Compost Soap – Is Soap Bad For Compost Heaps

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Things get tricky as you navigate which items can and can't be composted. For instance, can you compost soap? Find the answer here.

Composting Potato Peelings: How Do You Compost Potato Skins

By Laura Miller

Perhaps you've heard composting potato peelings is not a good idea. While you need to be careful when adding potato peels to compost piles, composting potato peelings is beneficial. So why the controversy? Click this article to learn more.

Can Bread Be Composted: Tips For Composting Bread

By Tonya Barnett, (Author of FRESHCUTKY)

Among many compost enthusiasts, whether or not to compost stale bread is a topic of debate. While those against it will insist that adding bread to compost will needlessly attract pests to your pile, other composters disagree. Click here to learn more.

What To Do With Sunflower Hulls – Adding Sunflower Hulls In Compost

By Tonya Barnett, (Author of FRESHCUTKY)

For many home growers, the garden simply would not be complete without the addition of sunflowers. Sunflower seeds, when used in bird feeders, also attract a wide array of wildlife. But what can you do with all those leftover sunflower hulls? Click here to learn more.

Can You Compost Leather – How To Compost Leather Scraps

By Becca Badgett, Co-author of How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden

If you do crafts or have a business that leaves behind lots of leather scraps, you may be wondering how to repurpose those leftovers. Can you compost leather? Take a look at the pros and cons of putting leather into your compost pile by clicking here.

Is Bird Poop Good For Plants – Can You Compost Bird Droppings

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Is bird poop good for plants? The easy answer is yes. The easiest and safest way to take advantage of the benefits of bird poop is to compost bird droppings before you add them to the soil. How to compost bird droppings? Click here for helpful information.

Can Beer Be Composted: A Guide To Composting Leftover Beer

By Amy Grant

Can you compost beer? Maybe a better question is should you compost beer? Does beer in compost add anything to the pile? Turns out that composting leftover beer has a few surprising advantages. Click on the following article to learn more.

Growing Plants For Compost: Plants To Grow For The Compost Pile

By Mary Ellen Ellis

Growing plants for the compost pile instead of just throwing in your kitchen waste is next level composting. Turning your food waste into nutrients is a great way to reuse and recycle, but try growing specific plants to make your compost even richer. Learn here in this article.

Vegetable Oil In Compost Bins: Should You Compost Leftover Cooking Oil

By Amy Grant

Composting is big and for good reason, but sometimes the rules about what is compostable can be confusing. For instance, can vegetable oil be composted? Learn more about adding vegetable oil to compost in this article.

Using Lobster Shells In The Garden: Learn How To Compost Lobster Shells

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

Lobster byproducts are legally dumped back into the ocean or used in the production of compost. Many lobster producers in Maine and Canada have jumped on the compost bandwagon. Want to learn more about composting lobsters shells? Click here.

Can I Compost Peanut Shells – Tips On Composting Peanut Shells

By Liz Baessler

Composting is the gardening gift that keeps on giving. You get rid of your old scraps and in return you get rich growing medium. But not everything is ideal for composting. Click this article to learn more about putting peanut shells in compost.

Using Diseased Leaves In Compost: Can I Compost Diseased Plant Leaves

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

Composting diseased leaves is a controversial subject. Since there are such differing opinions on the matter, gardeners should decide for themselves if adding diseased leaves in compost is right for them. This article explains more.

Can I Compost Pickles: Information On How To Compost Pickles

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

While it is true that any edible kitchen scraps can be added to the compost pile, there are also logical reasons why some things shouldn't be thrown on the pile in large amounts, like pickles. Continue reading to learn about composting pickles.

Composting With Biosolids: What Are Biosolids And What Are They Used For

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

You may have heard some debate on the controversial subject of using biosolids as compost for agriculture or home gardening. So what are biosolids? Learn more about the topic of composting with biosolids in this article.

Composting Styrofoam – Can You Compost Styrofoam

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

If you don't have a handy facility nearby that deals with the packing material commonly known as styrofoam, what can you do with it? Can you compost styrofoam? Find out the answer to this question and learn more by clicking on the following article.

Can You Compost Bird Feathers: How To Compost Feathers Safely

By Liz Baessler

Given enough time, things you may consider "garbage" can be turned into pure gold for your garden. We've all heard of composting kitchen scraps and manure, but one compostable you may not think of right away is bird feathers. Learn more here.

Tips On Composting Spent Hops – Adding Used Hops In Compost

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Can you compost hops plants? Composting spent hops, which are nitrogen-rich and very healthy for the soil, really isn't all that different from composting any other green material. Learn about composting hops plants in this article.

Composting Corn Cobs And Husks – Learn How To Compost Corn Plants

By Victoria Blackstone

Composting corn cobs and husks is a sustainable process of turning garbage-bound kitchen leftovers into garden-rich nutrients for your plants. Learn more about how to compost these items for maximum success using the information found in this article.

What Is Activated Charcoal: Can Charcoal Be Composted For Odor Control

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

Using activated charcoal in compost and garden soil is an effective way to neutralize certain chemicals, as the substance can absorb up to 200 times its own weight. It may also help staunch unpleasant aromas. Learn more in this article.

Composting Potato Haulms: Can You Add Potato Tops To Compost

By Amy Grant

There seems to be some debate about composting potato haulms, which will decompose just as any other organic matter. So the question is whether composting potato haulms is okay and, if so, how to compost potato plant haulms. Click here for more info.

Pond Scum Garden Fertilizer: Can You Use Pond Algae For Fertilizer

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

If your farm or backyard garden includes a pond, you may be wondering about pond scum uses, or whether you can use pond algae for fertilizer. The information in this article can help with that. Click here to learn about composting pond scum.

Composting Human Waste: Using Human Waste As Compost

By Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer

In an era of environmental consciousness and sustainable living, it may seem that composting human waste makes sense. The topic is highly debatable, but most experts agree that using human waste as compost is a bad idea. Click here for more info.

Can You Compost Sweetgum Balls: Learn About Sweetgum Balls In Compost

By Amy Grant

Sweetgum balls are anything but sweet but the prickly fruit of sweetgum trees. Most people want to know how to get rid of the tree, keep it from fruiting, or if you can compost sweetgum balls. Find out about composting gumballs here.

Can You Compost Onions: How To Compost Onion Peelings

By Amy Grant

Many people say not to add them to the pile, but is it possible to compost onions? The answer is a resounding, ?yes.? Read this article to learn more about how to compost onion peelings.

Kitchen Composting: How To Compost Food Scraps From The Kitchen

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

If you are new to composting, you may wonder how to compost food scraps. There are many ways to begin kitchen waste composting. Start saving scraps and read this article to get started.

Can You Compost Acorns: Tips On Composting Acorns

By Anne Baley

Oak trees drop acorns on your yard every fall. Getting rid of them can be painstaking, so composting acorns may be the answer. Read here to learn more and get tips on adding acorns to the compost pile.

Can You Compost Nuts: Information About Nut Shells In Compost

By Anne Baley

One of the surprising ingredients you can use is nut shells in compost. This article provides information on how to go about composting nuts successfully, so click here for tips on composting nut shells.

Can You Put Dryer Lint In Compost Piles: Learn About Composting Lint From Dryers

By Anne Baley

Is dryer lint beneficial to compost? Composting lint from dryers is a simple task with the right information. Learn more using lint in compost in this article and see if this process is a good way to reuse your dryer lint.

Composting Hay: Learn How To Compost Hay Bales

By Anne Baley

Using hay in compost piles has its advantages. Learn what these are to reap the benefits and how to effectively compost hay for use in the garden by reading this article. Click here now for more information.

Composting Pine Needles: How To Compost Pine Needles

By Jackie Carroll

Pine needles are a great source of organic matter for the garden. But can they be composted? Read this article to find out more about composting pine needles and see if this composting practice is right for you.

Adding Hair To Compost: Types Of Hair For Composting

By Anne Baley

Many things can be composted, but can you compost hair? Yes, you can, and it?s actually not that difficult. For more information on composting hair to use in the garden, read this article.

Can You Compost Diapers: Learn About Composting Diapers At Home

By Anne Baley

Disposable diapers account for over 7.5 billion pounds of garbage each year, and that?s just here in the U.S. But composting diapers may help reduce this landfill trash. Read this article to learn more.

Composting Tea Bags: Can I Put Tea Bags In The Garden?

By Amy Grant

Composting tea bags are a great way to reuse them in the garden. Learn more about the benefits of using tea bags for plant growth and how to compost them properly in this article so you can make the most of your excess tea.

Composting Fish Waste: Tips On How To Compost Fish Scraps

By Amy Grant

While you may not have heard of the practice, composting fish has been around a long time and can be great for plants. To learn more about how to compost fish scraps for your garden, read this article.

Composting Tomato Plants: When To Compost Tomatoes

By Susan Patterson, Master Gardener

Should you compost tomatoes? Learn about the pros and cons of composting tomato plants in this article and the best way to compost these plants should you choose to do so in your garden.

Composting Meat: Can You Compost Meat Scraps

By Amy Grant

Most organic materials can be composted safely, but the question of whether to compost meat does come up. The following article has tips on composting meat so you can make the right choice for your situation.

Using Seaweed For Compost: Learn How To Compost Seaweed

By Amy Grant

Composting seaweed for use as a home garden amendment is cheap and easy, especially if you have access to it. Use this article to take advantage of the benefits of using seaweed in compost.

Composting Cardboard: Information On Types Of Cardboard To Compost Safely

By Susan Patterson, Master Gardener

Composting cardboard is becoming more popular with home gardeners. But how do you know what types of cardboard are suitable for composting, and how is it done? This article will help with that.

Composting Gin Trash – How To Compost Cotton Gin Trash

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Once completely composted, cotton gin trash is a valuable soil amendment. What is cotton gin trash? Read this article to learn more about this natural material and the wonderful nutrients it has to offer.

Grass Clipping Composting: Making Compost With Grass Clippings

By Heather Rhoades

Knowing more about composting with grass clippings means that your overall compost pile will be better off. Composting grass is a great way to recycle vital nutrients. Learn more in this article.

Learn More About Using Ashes In Compost

By Nikki Tilley, Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden

Since ashes do not contain nitrogen and will not burn plants, they can be useful in the garden. Read this article to learn more about the do's and don'ts of using ashes for plant health.

Composting Leaves In Garden: Learn The Benefits Of Leaf Compost

By Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

The benefits of leaf compost are numerous. With the correct balance of greens and browns, composted leaves can yield a healthy, rich material for amending the soil. Read this article for more info.

Understanding The Browns And Greens Mix For Compost

By Heather Rhoades

Maintaining the right ratio of green and brown materials in compost will ensure that it works properly. Without the proper mix, you may have a stinky pile that doesna??t heat well. Read this article for more info.

Bananas In Compost: How To Compost Banana Peels

By Heather Rhoades

Using banana peels in compost is a great way to take advantage of their important nutrients for healthy plant growth. Read this article to learn how to go about adding banana peels to compost piles.

Citrus Peels In Compost – Tips For Composting Citrus Peels

By Heather Rhoades

While citrus peelings in compost were once shunned upon, it has since been found that not only is composting citrus peels ok, but they are actually beneficial. Read this article to learn more.

What Can You Compost And What Not To Put In Garden Compost

By Heather Rhoades

Composting is common with many gardeners, so knowing what can be put in the compost pile is important. This article will discuss what can and cannot be put in a compost bin and why.

Eggshells In The Garden: Using Eggshells In Soil, Compost And As Pest Control

By Heather Rhoades

Using eggshells in the garden can help in many ways, especially when composted. This article will look at how eggshells can help your compost, soil and even keep a few pests away.

Garden Recycling: Using Garbage To Make Your Plants Grow Better

By Stan V. Griep, American Rose Society Consulting Master Rosarian, Rocky Mountain District

Composting is a great way to reuse "garbage" that would otherwise be thrown away. This article takes a look at some common items around the home that can be recycled in the garden.

Composting Toilets – The Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Composting Toilet

By Nikki Tilley, Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden

Using composting toilets can help reduce water usage. This type of toilet consists of a well-ventilated container that houses and decomposes human waste. Read this article for more information.

Composting With Coffee Grounds – Used Coffee Grounds For Gardening

By Heather Rhoades

Looking for a great pick-me-up for your plants? Then consider putting your used coffee grounds to work in the garden. The following article will help with tips for composting coffee grounds.

Composting With Newspaper – Putting Newspaper In A Compost Pile

By Heather Rhoades

When you are composting newspapers, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Learn what these things are and how to compost newspaper effectively in this article.

Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile

By Heather Rhoades

Composting sawdust is an excellent way to use what would otherwise be a waste product. If done correctly, sawdust makes a great amendment for your compost pile. Read this article for more info.

Load More
Join Us - Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!
Ask A Pro
Ask a Question
Search for more information

Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How:

Search