Eggshells have become a go-to amendment for gardeners looking to boost calcium levels naturally. Crushed eggshells in garden soil or compost can release the mineral shot that plants need for strong cell walls and steady growth. In my yard, the ritual of drying shells on the windowsill is as much a part of spring as ordering seeds, born from a desire to waste nothing and feed the soil naturally.

However, there is a catch. While eggshells are packed with calcium, that mineral is locked away in a rigid crystalline structure. When using eggshells in the garden, a coarse eggshell fragment can sit underground for years without breaking down in a way that a plant can really benefit from it. It’s a slow-burn strategy that works for long-term soil health, but can fail to help a plant when a growth spurt hits.

This is where the zing factor comes in. By pairing your shells with lemon juice, you can chemically unlock that calcium so it acts faster. This simple citric trick transforms calcium carbonate so plants can drink it up almost instantly. So if you want to use eggshells for garden benefits, lemon juice is your fast-track to healthier plants. Here’s how to unlock the hidden power of eggshells with the ultimate lemon aid.

Why Gardeners Turn to Eggshells

Calcium isn't just something that’s nice to have for plants; it’s the literal glue that holds cell walls together. When calcium levels dip, the results are heartbreaking for any gardener who has put in the work. Perhaps you can identify with the misery of seeing that dreaded black, sunken spot on the bottom of a beautiful ripening tomato (known as blossom end rot). Or perhaps you have experience of pepper plants looking stunted, or leafy greens getting tip burn where the edges turn brown and crispy? These aren't usually signs of a pest, but a cry for calcium.

Using eggshells provides a direct source of calcium carbonate. The beauty of the eggshell is the price point (zero dollars) and ecological footprint. In my experience, there’s a deep satisfaction in repurposing scraps for calcium. As a side benefit, a thick ring of jagged shells can even discourage softer-bodied pests like slugs. Over time, the shells break down, feeding all organisms in the soil. It’s so simple – rinse them off, crush, and toss in. But the problem is how quickly it takes to work.

The Calcium Availability Exchange

The hard truth (and I mean hard) is that eggshells are designed by nature to be incredibly durable. They are composed of nearly 95% calcium carbonate, but it’s a stable mineral that doesn't just melt away in rainwater. If your soil has a neutral or high (alkaline) soil pH, the natural acids required to break down that shell are largely absent. I’ve dug up garden beds a year after amending them and found eggshell shards looking exactly as they did the day I planted them.

Plants need their nutrients to be water-soluble. Think of it like this: your plants don't have teeth, they have straws. If the calcium isn't dissolved in the soil's moisture, the roots can't pull it up. Without due preparation, simply tossing eggshells is a mistake. It becomes a big issue during periods of rapid growth or fluctuating moisture. Tomatoes, peppers, squash and even apple trees demand a steady stream of calcium to build fruit tissue, hence why deficiencies show fast. If shells are taking too long to decompose, the plant suffers – even if the soil is technically full of shells.

How Lemon Juice Changes Things

This is where our lemon juice trick can save the day. Knowing how to use eggshells in the garden is largely about speed. When you mix crushed eggshells with lemon juice, a chemical reaction occurs. The citric acid in the juice reacts with calcium carbonate in the shells to produce calcium citrate. And calcium citrate is significantly more soluble in water than calcium carbonate – much easier for water to carry and for roots to grab.

The acidity of the lemon juice also provides a localized soil pH drop. In gardens where soil can be alkaline, minerals like calcium and phosphorus can get locked in the soil. The slight acidity of lemon-treated shells creates a nutrient-friendly zone around the root ball, making it easier for the plant to uptake what it needs. It’s a gentle way to nudge the chemistry in your favor without drastically altering your yard's pH balance.

Yes, plain eggshells work long-term – but lemon juice gives plants a massive head start where active growth is pressing and speed is important. Heavy feeders show stronger growth and fewer rot spots when you use shells this way. So grab a couple of lemons, and let’s go. Use a hand juicer like the Zulay Stainless Steel Lemon Squeezer from Amazon to take the sting out of squeezing. You can also use bottled lemon juice for this trick.

Shop These Citric Superstars

Make sure you have all the right kit for this vital garden hack. This lemony trio helps you prep and apply your eggshell waste in the right way.

Preparing and Using Eggshells

Rinse your eggshells to remove the inner membrane and any protein residue. I like to dry mine in a low oven (200°F) for 10-15 minutes. Not only does this sterilize them, but it makes them easier to grind into a fine dust. Use your food processor to grind fragments into a fine powder. If you don’t have a processor, use a solid pestle and mortar, like the Berard France Wooden Pestle and Mortar Set from Wayfair.

Once you have your powder, place it in a glass jar and cover it with lemon juice. Aim for roughly two tablespoons of juice per dozen shells. You'll hopefully see fizzing. That’s the carbon dioxide being released as the calcium transforms. Let it sit for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the fizzing stops, you have a concentrated calcium slurry.

For application, dilute this mixture with water (about a gallon of water for every dozen shells' worth of mix) and use it as a soil drench. Alternatively, you can side-dress your plants by scratching the lemon-soaked mash directly into the top two inches (5cm) of soil. For heavy feeders like tomatoes or broccoli, I recommend doing this once at planting time and again when the first flowers appear. Water well afterward so the calcium starts moving down to roots.

When This Trick Helps Most

While every plant needs calcium, this lemon-juice boost is a special forces tactic for specific situations. It is most effective for container gardens and raised beds where calcium reserves are low. Because pots have a limited volume of soil, they run out of nutrients quickly, and the peat-based mixes often used in containers can struggle to break down raw amendments. If you are growing those rapid-growers like tomatoes or peppers in pots on your deck, this soluble calcium drink is a genuine lifesaver.

It’s also great for heavy feeders. Brassicas (like cauliflower and cabbage) and cucurbits (squash and melons) use massive amounts of calcium to maintain their structural integrity. However, calcium alone won't fix everything. If you aren't watering consistently, the plant still won't be able to transport that calcium from the soil to the fruit. So keep watering your plants in tandem with this nifty trick.

Beyond the Lemon: Other Solutions

If you run out of lemons, don't panic. White vinegar such as Iberia Distilled White Vinegar from Amazon works on the exact same principle, creating calcium acetate. The reaction is even more vigorous, though it doesn't smell quite as nice in the potting shed.Citric acid powder also mixes cleanly for big batches. All turn the calcium into something plants grab easier without much extra work.

The best strategy is a multi-layered approach, paired with steady watering and mulching for even moisture in the ground. It's OK to toss coarsely crushed shells into your compost pile for long-term soil health. But try this lemon-juice eggshell soak for hungry crops and plants prone to rapid growth spurts. By combining the slow-release nature of raw shells with the fast-acting power of the lemon soak, you’re ensuring your soil stays rich for years, while this year’s plants can enjoy the goodness fast.

Early Spring Soil Superchargers

Boosting your flowers and veggies starts from the ground up. This trio of pro-level amendments work well in tandem with your eggshell routine.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!

Have you ever wondered if you can compost sourdough starter to invigorate that backyard heap? This tangy mix, left over from home baking, tends to accumulate over time as it is discarded after the starter is fed. Its natural makeup, containing wild yeasts and microbes, would seem to be beneficial to the composting process. But is adding sourdough to compost really a clever way to turn a waste item into garden fuel?

This notion has recently been picking up steam, and composting food waste shows how everyday scraps can amp up decay. With so much unused starter that often ends up being thrown away, it’s fair to ask if it brings an extra spark to the process.

Whether you already have a backyard pile or want to learn how to compost to reduce kitchen waste, learning what can be composted is vital to get the best out of it and create that black gold.

Why Use Sourdough in Compost?

Bakers always have that extra sourdough starter after a feed, and it quickly adds up. While there are many discard recipes to try, sometimes it inevitably gets thrown out. Yet, the starter is buzzing with beneficial microbes. So, could these microbes, already at work on flour and water, keep going on other scraps and help hurry along the compost’s decay?

In theory, it’s like a natural jumpstart – not unlike tossing in veggie peels. That lively microbial nature hints it could shake up the pile, making it an interesting add-in to try out. The wet stuff and nitrogen might even warm things up a touch.

Does Science Back the Hype?

No big studies have proven its effectiveness yet, but the pieces fit. The starter’s got nitrogen from the flour, which teams up with carbon for a solid mix. Microbes are the stars of the show in decay, and the starter’s cultures might pitch in, even if it’s not locked in. These microbes, mainly Lactobacillus bacteria and Saccharomyces yeasts, can contribute enzymes that help break down organic matter, and they may briefly boost microbial diversity in the pile, though the existing compost community usually dominates the process. Too much could tip the scales, maybe overheating it.

Many experts figure adding sourdough starter is fine in small quantities, though solid proof is still out there waiting. It’s a fair guess, just not a done deal.

What Could it Do for Your Pile?

Adding starter to your pile could possibly help speed up decay. That could mean darker, richer compost ready for the garden sooner. The nitrogen nudge might also reinvigorate soil a little, helping plants grow better down the line. The enzymes and bacteria from the starter can help break down tough fibers, like bran or husks, and may slightly increase microbial diversity, which can improve nutrient cycling and structure in your pile. It’s a handy way to cut waste, flipping a baker’s extra into garden gold. The starter mixes things up, maybe improving the compost’s feel and nutrients with regular use.

Any Snags to Watch For?

Piling on too much sourdough starter might cause composting problems, like making the heap too soggy or sour, slowing it down, or calling in flies. The yeast could butt heads with other microbes, throwing things off if overdone. A whiff of funk might hang around without a good stir.

In warm spells, that extra wet could draw more bugs. Smaller bins might feel the strain, so keeping tabs on them helps dodge headaches. Speaking of bins, a good bin is one of the more important factors, as well. This VIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter from Amazon is a great choice that makes turning compost a breeze.

Doing it the Smart Way

To test whether you can compost your sourdough starter in your home bin, start by tossing in a small scoop – maybe a cup or two – into a pile that’s been turned over. Blend it with dry leaves or paper to soak up the damp. Flip it every few days to keep air moving and keep that sour smell at bay.

Watch how it goes. If it gets slimy or stinky, add more dry stuff and mix it up. It should settle in over a few weeks.

Other Tricks to Jazz Up Compost

Sprinkling in coffee grounds for a nitrogen kick is a tip many gardeners swear by. Grass clippings, if they’re clean, add a green punch, but stir them in to stop clumping. Crushed eggshells add calcium, balancing things out slow and steady.

Store-bought compost starters, packed with microbes, can get it going fast. A good go-to, and my personal favorite, is the Jobe's Organics Fast-Acting Granular Fertilizer Compost Starter, available from Amazon. These sidestep starter worries and keep the compost rolling strong.

A compost pile shines with a mix of things, so don’t bank on just one. Touch it. It ought to feel warm, not blazing or cold. Splash some water if it’s dry and crumbly, but don’t turn it into a puddle. A bit of everything keeps it cooking along.

It’s become a bit of a fad to recycle kitchen leftovers these days. Whether it’s egg shells, cinnamon, banana skins or orange peels, it seems there’s always another great ingredient for plant health lurking in the top level of your waste bin. But there is compelling evidence that there are several plants that like coffee grounds and genuinely benefit from a java boost, particularly acid lovers.

As well as topping up levels of potassium and phosphorus, coffee grounds can supplement nitrogen, magnesium and key vitamins – as well as caffeine. Depending on who you speak to, there are between 400 billion and one trillion cups of coffee being consumed around the world each year. That’s a lot of grounds potentially getting binned!

For anyone with an interest in sustainable gardening and organic practices, being able to redirect some of that waste towards the health and wellbeing of plants can only be a good thing. But it’s important to pick coffee candidates wisely and moderately. While it can work wonders as a soil amendment, and can even help deter pests like mosquitoes and slugs, it isn’t wise to scatter leftovers indiscriminately around every plant you own.

Adding coffee grounds to a broader composting routine can be the most sensible way of ensuring that you are giving plants a balanced feed, but depending on the plant there are other ways. Here are the plants that love coffee grounds the most – with pointers on how to best apply your java and ensure that plants get the most from that next coffee break.

How Do You Add Coffee Grounds to Plants?

Before we look at the plants that benefit from coffee grounds the most, it’s good to get a sense of how best to administer that caffeine boost. Are coffee grounds good for plants in any shape or form? Not really – just scooping dregs into your raised beds, mixed beds and containers could be a recipe for disaster. Used dregs aren’t necessarily going to cause too much of an issue in small amounts, but give some thought to which plants are acid loving and alkaline loving – and check your soil pH before adding coffee grounds. In large amounts, they could raise acid levels in the soil.

If you are using grounds as a soil amendment, try to work them in a few inches deep (around 4in/10cm is a good gauge). Are used coffee grounds good for plants if applied directly? It’s not generally a good idea to just scatter coffee grounds in large quantities on the surface of the soil, because in extreme cases they can repel water. You can also add coffee grounds as a brew by steeping in hot water and allowing to cool – this is a quicker way of getting the nutrients to the soil.

The best way of introducing the benefits of coffee grounds is by adding them to your composting bin. A sensible ratio would be four parts green waste to one part coffee grounds. It might take a few months of turning with traditional composting methods, although electric composting units could speed up the process. Just try to make sure the overall composition of the pile does not contain more than around 15% coffee grounds.

What Plants are Coffee Grounds Good For?

Depending on how much coffee is given to plants, and how, the grounds can provide decent amounts of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, nitrogen, magnesium, and zinc. They also feed soil microbes which release glues that assist with overall soil drainage and structure. What’s more, coffee grounds can also be used as a slug killer and mosquito repellent. To repel slugs most effectively, add to plants as a diluted soil drench or a foliar spray. To repel mosquitoes, burn some grounds – the smell releases a smoke that disorients the mosquito.

Read on for a list of plants that like coffee grounds the best. These tend to be plants and shrubs that are acid-loving in nature, although the extent to which the acid levels will be affected will vary, depending on existing soil pH, the amount of grounds added, and the method of application.

1. Hydrangeas

Many hydrangeas, specifically mophead or broadleaf hydrangea varieties, are capable of changing color depending on the soil pH of the ground in which they are planted. If the soil pH is acidic (below 6) then the flowers can change from pink to blue. Conversely, alkaline conditions can make blooms pinker. Adding coffee grounds can help to shift floral tones towards the blue end of the spectrum, if that’s your fancy.

A note of caution about coffee grounds for hydrangeas, though: it’s not guaranteed that adding coffee grounds will make your flowers change color dramatically. Other factors, such as USDA region and specific hydrangea variety, can influence the extent to which this is likely. Still, when growing hydrangeas, they are generally easy going enough to appreciate acidic soil conditions, so they will certainly appreciate a shot of java, whether in soil drench or compost form.

If you’re looking for a quick way to create compost with coffee grounds, try the Fast Composting Miracle-Gro Compost Tumbler from Amazon, or the Bokashi Composting Kit from Amazon.

2. Camellias

Organic feeds are the best bet for gorgeous camellias, with their immaculate and seemingly endless precision blooms. Giving camellias a regular fertilizer from early spring to early summer is recommended as a way of ensuring the luscious blooms year after year. A good natural option is Dr Earth Acid Lovers Feed from Lowes, which is geared specifically towards this shrub’s acid-loving nature.

While they should not be used as a complete alternative, coffee grounds are ideal as a supplement to your camellia fertilizing routine. Grounds are particularly useful if added to a compost that can be used to top up your shrub ahead of the flowering season. Adding too many grounds directly to the soil can result in clumping, so a compost mix is generally best for soil condition and balanced feeding.

3. Rhododendrons

There are a couple of great aspects to the use of coffee grounds when growing rhododendrons. One, rhodies are acid-lovers and so appreciate the extra acidic fix afforded by your used grounds. The second benefit is that the coarse nature of the grounds (applied directly or as part of a compost) is highly advantageous in deterring slugs and snails, which love shade-loving rhodies.

Where applying directly to the root system, only add grounds a few times a year in beds and borders. If you are growing rhodies in containers, a couple of coffee ground applications (once in spring, and again in early summer) is sufficient. Again, don’t leave used grounds on the surface of the soil, as they can form a barrier that prevents water from working its magic and in some cases can lead to water retention. Where possible, keep an eye on drainage when using grounds.

Adding coffee grounds to your compost heap or compost bin is a good workaround if you want to use grounds but don’t want to risk compromising hydration or drainage around your rhodies. To speed up the composting process, use Reencle’s Electric Composter, available on Amazon, to create a fine compost containing coffee grounds in just a few short weeks.

4. Azaleas

Lovely, low maintenance azaleas are a popular choice for Japanese garden themes, cottage gardens, and creative modern planting schemes. Presenting with both deciduous and evergreen breeds, they create a mellow, carefree yet highly structured elegance, usually flowering in spring (although a few azalea varieties bloom again in late summer or fall). They generally don’t need loads of feeding, although an early slow-release fertilizer, such as Expert Gardener’s Plant Food from Walmart, can help in boosting flower power.

When adding coffee grounds to your azaleas, be sure to dry the grounds first and consider working into the soil so they don’t form a crust on the surface of the soil (which can negatively affect the shrub’s drainage and water retention). Avoid direct contact with the stem. Alternatively, add to your compost pile or compost bin for a more balanced, gentler caffeine fix.

5. Blueberries

If there’s one crop you should treat to some spare grounds, it’s the lush and lovely blueberry. Adding used grounds directly to the ground or to your compost pile or bin will benefit this fruity acid-lover with supplementary nitrogen, potassium and magnesium while craftily helping to lower the soil pH a little (blueberries prefer a pH around 4-5.5).

If you’re adding coffee grounds directly to your blueberries, don’t add very thick amounts – keep the applications light and infrequent (and ideally work into the soil so it doesn’t crust around the surface). Don’t add more than three applications during a single growing season. Adding grounds to the compost is generally the most effective (and least risky) way to give your blues a coffee shot.

Plenty of great blueberry varieties can be treated to a little coffee fix, but check your specific variety for individual growing requirements. There are some excellent blueberry options for first-timers at Fast Growing Trees. However, if you notice the leaves of your blueberry start looking a little yellow, it might be a sign to go cold turkey on the caffeine – and you should definitely cut the coffee out once winter arrives.

6. Roses

The allure of coffee grounds when growing roses is perhaps surprising, but this really is a miracle tonic for developing blooms. First, the grounds top up nitrogen levels, promoting vigorous leaf growth. When used as a soil amendment or compost top-up, the grounds also help to fight diseases such as fusarium wilt. The application of grounds even keeps soil conditions coarse enough to deter pests such as slugs and snails.

While coffee grounds won’t help roses grow faster, they can certainly give roses a shot to the system in terms of flower power. However, as with other plants mentioned here, don’t be tempted to rely only on coffee grounds as a source of plant food. The best results rely on a balance of nutrients, so add the grounds to your compost bin. It’s still wise to incorporate a dedicated rose feed such as Burpee Organic Rose + Bloom from Burpee, in order to give roses the best chance of reaching their fullest, velvetiest and most fragrant potential.

7. Peace Lilies & Pothos

Coffee grounds make a lovely booster drink or compost top-up for a range of house plants, including aloe vera, snake plants and African violets. However, peace lilies and pothos plants are two house plants that like coffee grounds very much. Peace lilies appreciate the slight acidic boost as well as the structural benefits to the soil, enabling roots to better extract goodness from the soil. Pothos plants also appreciate the aerating properties of grounds when added as a gentle soil mix or compost top-up.

While these are two indoor plants that like coffee grounds, make sure you are still giving your houseplants a slow-release general purpose fertilizer or diluted general-purpose fertilizer at monthly intervals during the growing season. Coffee grounds are a great potential nitrogen boost, but ideally they need to be viewed as a top-up to a broader feeding routine. If possible, try a dedicated pothos or peace lily feed such as Houseplant Resource Center Original Indoor Plant Food, available from Walmart.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We’re all familiar with the idea of composting kitchen scraps, but is paper compostable? The amount of paper waste produced by households each year is astronomical – and if adding some to the compost heap can lessen its environmental impact and contribute to better soil and healthier plants in the garden, then it's worth knowing more about it. You may even wonder whether it is better to compost or recycle paper.

Finding out what can be composted is one of the most important aspects of learning how to compost at home. All piles require a mix of compost greens and browns – or rather a mix of nitrogen and carbon-rich materials – to create a loamy, nutritious soil improver. Paper belongs on the brown side of the recipe, which includes dry or woody plant material. A good mix of browns and greens in a compost pile is about 4:1 browns to greens, so paper can be a valuable contribution to bulking it up.

Is it Better to Compost or Recycle Paper​?

Bear in mind paper can be recycled 5 to 7 times. So if the paper is clean, it might be better to recycle it rather than compost it. It can then be returned to use rather than cutting down more trees to produce more paper.

However, not all paper types can be recycled, and so are better composted than trashed. Where paper is recyclable, use it to top up the compost pile only where you have insufficient other brown materials, rather than relying on it completely.

Which Types of Paper Can Be Composted?

Keep in mind that there are many types of paper waste – from tissues to glossy magazine pages – and not all paper is created equal when it comes to composting.

Generally, you can compost most types of paper in your home composting pile. However, you need to be careful about composting paper with waxy components or other additives, including plastic and glitter, that aren’t suited to a compost pile. If in doubt, check the paper composition on the packaging.

Additionally, if you use your city's compost program, consult with your municipality to determine their exact rules and regulations.

Confused? See our list of paper products below to check which common paper product types are safe to compost.

• Coffee Filters
• Egg Cartons
• Napkins
• Newspaper
• Paper Bags
• Paper Cups
• Paper Plates
• Paper Towels
• Paper with Ink
• Parchment Paper
• Shredded Paper
• Tissue Paper
• Toilet Paper
• Wax Paper
• Wrapping Paper

Coffee Filters

Whether or not you can compost coffee filters depends on what they are made of. Some contain synthetic materials (plastic or nylon).

Generally, coffee filters can be composted, but if possible use unbleached coffee filters to be certain.

You don't even have to clean them out, as using coffee grounds in the garden is a great way to add nitrogen to the soil and give the compost pile a boost.

Egg Cartons

Again, whether or not you can compost egg cartons depends on their composition. Some cartons are made from styrofoam while others are made from paper. Paper egg cartons can be used in the compost pile.

To get them to break down faster, remove any stickers on them and rip them up into smaller pieces.

However, before adding egg cartons to the compost heap, see if you can get a second life out of them. Starting seeds in egg cartons is a great way to repurpose them.

Napkins

Most paper napkins are compostable even if they are wet or have food residue on them. Their short paper fibers mean they will break down quickly on the compost heap – and also mean they should not be put in recycling.

However, avoid composting napkins that have glitter or plastic fibers in the mix. If unsure, check the packaging for the composition and avoid buying this type of napkin in future.

Newspaper

Composting newspaper is usually fine. However, due to its high lignin content newsprint does tend to break down slowly, so rip it into strips to aid in decomposition prior to tossing it in the compost pile. Never add it in bundles.

Many gardeners are concerned about the inks used for newspapers, but modern newsprint inks are non-toxic and will not have a negative effect on the compost.

Paper Bags

It is safe to compost paper bags as long as they are clean or only stained with food and drink waste. If the bag is large, tear it into smaller pieces before adding to the pile.

If the bag is printed with a design, it is still usually okay to compost since most of the time the ink is soy-based.

Paper Cups

Only compostable paper cups can be composted – but not usually at home. They need to be processed at industrial composting facilities. Even biodegradable paper cups are not usually suitable for home composting

Regular paper cups cannot be composted at all as they are coated with a plastic lining that stops liquids from seeping through. When these break down in the compost pile, they will impart microplastics.

Stick to reusable cups wherever possible.

Paper Plates

You can compost paper plates, even if they have food residue, if they are solely made from paper. If however, they are waxed or made of plastic, they cannot be composted.

Read the packaging to check, and in the future only buy compostable paper plates.

Paper Towels

Whether paper towels can go in a compost pile depends on whether they are unbleached and free from chemicals, so check the packaging. If they are used for cleaning up food or food-related oils, they can also be composted.

Adding paper towels to the compost heap is a great way to dispose of them as they cannot be recycled.

Paper with Ink

In general, it is safe to compost paper with ink, but it really depends on what type of paper and what type of ink is used. Some ink on paper is compostable; those with non-toxic or vegetable or soy-based inks are fine to compost.

But also remember, you need to consider the paper itself. Is it eligible for the compost pile or is it made with synthetics or chemicals? Check before composting.

Parchment Paper

Can you compost parchment paper? Parchment paper can be composted if it is not coated with wax or silicone. That is, it must be untreated parchment paper. Often, parchment is coated, so be sure to check.

Shredded Paper

Most shredded paper can be composted, provided it doesn’t contain any synthetic or chemical components.

Before adding documents to the shredder, it's worth separating out any non-compostable paper types, or plastics such as old credit cards.

Tissue Paper

Tissue paper is compostable as long as it doesn’t have a glittery or shiny look to it. Check before buying these for arts and crafts projects.

Toilet Paper

This depends on the toilet paper and how it was used. Compostable toilet paper does exist – and is necessary if you are interested in installing a composting toilet – but soiled toilet paper really shouldn’t be used in the home compost pile. Go ahead and flush it down.

Wax Paper

Sorry, wax paper can not be composted. It contains petroleum products that will not break down during the compost process.

Wrapping Paper

Whether wrapping paper can go in the compost pile depends on what the paper is made of. Compostable wrapping paper exists and should be labeled as such but some types of gift wrap may be made of foil or have embellishments that are not compostable.

The paper may also be glossy or colored using products that aren’t recommended for the compost pile. Ideally, buy unrefined wrapping paper printed with natural dyes.

How to Compost Paper

Most of the time you don’t need to do anything to paper to compost it. Sometimes you need to remove labels or other materials that are non-compostable from the paper first.

Just like when composting cardboard, large or heavy paper should be shredded or ripped into smaller pieces.

Keep your compost pile moist and be sure to add “green” materials like food scraps and grass clippings to the pile. Turning compost regularly will help to aerate it.

How Much Paper Should I Add to the Compost Bin?

You want to have about a 4-inch-thick (10cm) layer of paper with a “green” layer above and below it to facilitate composting.

How Long Does Paper Take to Compost?

The length of time it takes paper to compost depends on the type of paper, its thickness, and environmental conditions like the amount of moisture and oxygen.

Papers with low lignin content and higher cellulose content (envelopes, computer paper, and writing paper) tend to compost more quickly.

That said, generally, paper products take from a few months to over a year to break down.

More Composting Inspiration

• Find out whether an electric composter is right for you, with our guide to countertop food recyclers.
• Discover 5 winter composting shortcuts that will fill garden beds and pots in time for spring.

One of the most important things to know about making your own compost is what you can and cannot put in it. For example, meat and dairy shouldn’t go in because they get very stinky and attract pests. What about eggshells, though? When composting eggshells, salmonella might concern a conscientious gardener, but it’s really nothing to worry about.

Why Add Eggshells to Compost?

You can add eggshells to your compost pile as part of your regular kitchen waste. And you should, because doing so reduces waste to the landfill and because they add nutrients to your soil. Eggshells are particularly rich in calcium, a micronutrient for your plants.

Do You Need to Wash Eggshells Before Composting?

When putting eggshells in compost, salmonella might be a worry, but it shouldn’t be. It’s true that we need to take care when handling eggs in the kitchen due to the risk of salmonella on the shell. Chickens often host a type of salmonella that can transfer to the shell of the egg and make you sick.

To avoid contamination with salmonella, it’s important to wash your hands after handling raw eggs. We’re also advised to avoid eating foods with raw eggs, like cookie dough. These kinds of rules may lead you to believe you should also wash raw eggshells before adding them to compost.

Washing eggshells before composting is not necessary to eliminate salmonella. Compost piles get very hot in the center, around 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (60 to 71 degrees Celsius), which is enough to kill most pathogens. Even if salmonella survives the composting process, the amount present in the finished product is likely to be very low, similar to what is naturally in the soil anyway.

One reason you might consider washing shells with raw egg or bits of cooked hardboiled egg left in them is to avoid pests. Animals like skunks or raccoons are uninterested in the shells, but if they can smell egg, they might be drawn to the compost.

Can You Put Cooked Eggshells in Compost?

If you have already cooked the eggs, go ahead and put the shells in the compost pile. Again, if you hardboiled eggs and some of the egg remains in the shell, it might attract pests. This is unlikely, though, as it is probably a very small amount.

How to Prepare Eggshells for Composting

You can put raw or cooked eggshells in compost, either washed or not, depending on how concerned you are about pests in your compost. You can put them in as is, but you will find that eggshells take a lot longer to break down in compost than other materials.

If you don’t do anything to prepare them for composting, you will have visible pieces of eggshell in the finished product. This is fine, but if you don’t like the look or if you want to get more calcium out of the shells, they need to be in smaller pieces before going into the compost pile.

You can dry out the eggshells by leaving them out for a few days or by baking them in the oven at a low temperature. Dry shells are easier to crush into smaller pieces. Crush them by hand or use a spice grinder or food processor. The smaller you can get the eggshell pieces, the more calcium you will get out of them.

Eggshells are great for compost if you do it right. Don’t add the actual egg, and grind up the shells as much as possible. And, while you’re at it, add paper egg cartons to the compost pile. They'll decompose quickly.

Mushroom compost for the garden has been promoted as beneficial for some time now, but it’s important to note that not every plant reaps the benefits of mushroom compost. What plants don’t like mushroom compost? Acid loving plants, for one. Is mushroom compost good for a vegetable garden? The following contains information on plants that do and don’t like mushroom compost and how to use it in your garden.

What is Mushroom Compost?

Sold packaged at garden supply centers or in bulk from mushroom growers themselves, mushroom compost is specially mixed compost most suited for commercial growing of mushrooms. It’s sold when it is “spent,” meaning after a round of mushrooms has been grown in it and it is beginning to lose some of the nutrients specific to the optimal growth of the fungi.

Just because mushroom compost is spent doesn’t mean it has no value. In fact mushroom compost is incredibly good for most but not all of the garden.

What is in mushroom compost? The recipe for mushroom compost varies depending upon the company, but it may contain wheat or rye straw, peat moss, used horse bedding straw, chicken manure, cottonseed or canola meal, the leavenings from grape pressing, soybean meal, potash, gypsum, urea, ammonium nitrate and lime.

The concoction is mixed up and then allowed to sit for about 30 days to heat up and begin the composting process. Straw provides the basis for the compost and some nourishment for beneficial bacteria and the chicken manure, while cottonseed meal and urea provide additional nutrition. The bacteria feed and multiply, raising the temp of the compost pile enough to kill any weed seeds or pathogens. The resulting compost is then ready to grow mushrooms in.

What is Mushroom Compost Good For?

Mushroom compost improves water retention, improves soil structure, has a mild nitrogen content which means it provides a slow uptake for plants but low enough to discourage weed growth, attracts earthworms, effectively insulates cooling or warming roots according to the season, and is an excellent slow release fertilizer.

What Plants Don’t Like Mushroom Compost?

Because mushroom compost is great at improving water retention, it isn't a good option for plants that don’t like “wet feet” such as succulents. This increase in water retention can also lead to rot or fungal infections.

Mushroom compost may be alkaline due to its high content of chalk or lime. But not all mushroom compost will be alkaline, so it is best to do a pH test prior to use, especially around acidic loving plants.

Mushroom compost is also high in salt, which can be problematic for some plants such as blueberries, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. These soluble salts along with other nutrients in fresh mushroom compost are too concentrated to germinate seeds or plant young seedlings.

If you have mushroom compost and are unsure of its content, it's best to mix it with garden soil prior to use on young plants. Or better yet, procure your compost in the fall and allow it to sit and cure over the winter months.

Although mushroom compost attracts earthworms, at the outset it lacks beneficial microorganisms. This is because the spent product has been pasteurized prior to sale in order to kill weed seeds, pests or pathogens.

How to Use Mushroom Compost

You can either procure your mushroom compost by the bag or order it in bulk. When used after curing or when mixed with garden soil, mushroom compost can be used around perennials, trees, and shrubs. In the vegetable garden, till three inches (8 cm) of compost into the top six inches (15 cm) of dry soil.

Mushroom compost can be used in container grown plants as well, but only at the rate of 1 to 4, compost to soil.

One of the largest pollutants of our planet is plastic. Since the 1950’s the world has produced over nine billion tons of plastic, much of it still in existence. This problem has been tackled with the introduction of compostable take out containers and other packaging and yet, what to do with compostable packaging is still a problem. Keep reading to learn what to do with compostable packaging. 

Can you Compost Biodegradable Plastic? 

Biodegradable plastic has been touted as the solution to the problem of plastic pollution. Sounds great in theory, but the problem is that many “compostable” plastic bags, cup lids, and utensils do not break down during composting. On top of that they then contaminate recyclable plastic resulting in a real mess for recyclers. 

The truth is that most compostable plastics are made from polyester called polylactic acid (PLA) that ends up in landfills along with the plastics made in the 1950’s. 

So, the answer to the above questions is yes and no. Biodegradable plastic breaks down with the aid of microorganisms into water, carbon dioxide, and compost within weeks to months. Some of these bioplastics, however, are made from biomass that can’t be easily broken down and are then non-biodegradable. 

How to Dispose of Compostable Cups

Compostable cups and other containers biodegrade at the same rate as other organic materials when composting and with no toxic residue. This does not mean though, that they are safe to add to your compost pile. 

Generally compostable plastic is meant to go to an industrial composting facility which has higher temperatures than that of a home compost bin. 

In lieu of adding to the compost pile, some restaurants and companies have a special bin for compostable products, separate from trash or recycling. 

Are Biodegradable Bags Compostable? 

So here’s the problem. Biodegradable and compostable are often used interchangeably when in fact they are very different. Biodegradable bags are made from petroleum that has been incorporated with heavy metals. Some types of bacteria will feed on the metals in the plastic and break it down more quickly than non-biodegradable plastic. 

Compostable bags are those made from naturally occurring materials that break down easily and are non-toxic. The use of the term compostable is regulated while that of biodegradable is not.

So, no -- biodegradable bags are not compostable. Under specific conditions they will break down over the course of a few months but not in a landfill. Conditions in a landfill are not conducive to the breakdown of biodegradable bags and they can in fact sit for decades to centuries. 

Composting is easy, whether you do it in a bin or in a pile on the ground. It feels a little bit like magic as you help Mother Nature turn kitchen and garden detritus into a wonderful soil additive. 

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 Yard Waste?

Composting is a win-win endeavor, ridding the garden of dead leaves and clippings while, at the same time, creating organic compost. While you can buy this product at the garden store, why not make your own for free by learning to compost garden waste?

In order to start viewing yard waste as compost, you need to understand the composting process. Composting is the process of piling up brown waste (like dead, dried leaves) and green waste (like vegetable peelings and spent tomato vines) and giving them the sun, water and air they need to decompose rapidly. The resulting product can be worked into garden soil to improve its texture and add nutrients.

Compost Garden Waste

You can get started composting in the back yard for free by opting for a compost pile rather than a bin. You’ll need a shady level spot some 3-6 feet (1-2 m.) square where the drainage is good. Start with dry yard clippings including autumn leaves (aka brown material), then add about half as much green matter. You can compost green waste and brown waste by adding them in separate layers, but it’s also fine to blend them together before adding to the pile. 

As the pile grows, you need to mix it once a week. The mixing adds air that quickens the compost process. Turning yard waste to compost also requires moisture. If it rains every week where you live, you may not have to add any water, but if not, get out the garden hose. The pile should be the consistency of a rung-out sponge. 

How long does it take before your pile of garden water turns into usable compost? There is no set time schedule, and everything depends on Mother Nature. In an ideal situation, with sufficient rain and sun, you may be able to start using your compost in two to three months.

Compost Yard Waste Weeds

While you can compost garden waste, you cannot compost all of it. Some items should not be added to the compost. Only garden clippings and fallen leaves that have not been treated with chemicals belong in the compost pile. That includes chemical pesticides and fungicides.

The decomposition process occurs on the surface of the waste materials, which means their shape and size impact composting. Large woody chunks of shrub won’t decompose easily, so these should be shredded or chopped into smaller particles before layering them in the compost. But leave the smaller branch clippings intact since rigid particles provide structure and ventilation to the compost pile.

Likewise, it is tricky to compost yard waste weeds. If the weeds have already gone to seed, they should not go into the compost since it may not get hot enough to kill tough weed seeds. Likewise, you should not add weed cuttings when the plants have invasive roots. This will exclude plants like dock weed, alligatorweed and bermudagrass from your compost. Even small bits of these plant roots may allow the weeds to grow back.

Can you compost wood chips? The answer is a definite maybe. Yes, you can put wood chips in compost, but composting wood chips isn’t as straightforward as a typical backyard compost pile. 

Can I Put Wood Chips In My Compost?

If you want to put wood chips in compost, the process will work best if the chips are as small as possible, preferably 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm.) at most. Be patient; composting wood chips is a long, slow process that can take as long as three or four years. The larger the chips, the longer the process takes.

Some types of wood, including cedar, cypress, oak, redwood, and American mahogany, are especially slow to decompose. If you have a lot of wood chips, you might want to create a separate pile in an out-of-the-way corner of your garden. 

Don’t compost wood from yew or other toxic plants unless you’re sure the pile will be hot enough to break down the toxic substances. Otherwise, let the chips sit for a few months before composting it, then let the finished compost sit a few more months before using it.

Composting Wood Chips: Tips On Speeding Up The Process

Wood chips are a great source of carbon, but they contain very little nitrogen, so you’ll need to add green material to wood chips in compost. For instance, you can add fresh lawn clippings, food waste, coffee grounds, or manure. 

Blood meal or feather meal are nitrogen-rich materials that will help speed up the process. If the pile is large, you can spread a couple of handfuls of balanced, dry fertilizer evenly over the surface. 

Turn the pile frequently, generally every couple of weeks. Turning incorporates oxygen into the pile, which is essential for decomposition. However, don’t turn the pile during the winter, as the pile needs warmth during cold weather.

Add water to the pile if necessary. The compost pile should be damp but never drenched.

Can You Compost Wood Chips? Alternate Ideas for Wood Chips

If composting wood chips takes too long, you can always use the chips as a ground cover. The wood will staunch the growth of weeds, control erosion, and improve soil quality as it breaks down gradually. You can also use wood chips as animal bedding or to build up a raised bed.

Compost is one of those free gardening items that you can make yourself. All you have to do is follow a few rules regarding what to put in your compost, as well as temperature and moisture levels. Kitchen scraps are always a winner, but you may wonder, "can I compost straw?" Using straw in compost is a great way to increase carbon and keep a balanced compost pile. 

Using up organic odds and ends in a compost pile will result in some lovely, rich medium. It is a great way to reduce waste and return nutrients back to your soil. Can you compost straw? It is the basis of mushroom compost and will also turn your mixture into a nicely textured soil. 

Can I Compost Straw?

Most of us are aware of the basics of compost making, but can you compost straw? You need a nice balance of nitrogen and carbon for a sweet smelling, dark, loosely textured finished product. Nitrogen comes from vegetative items such as lettuce, beans, and kale. It also comes from fruits like tomatoes or peaches. You can add to compost with toilet paper rolls, Q-tips, newspaper, and other dry items. Straw is also in this "brown" category. It will release carbon for a healthy compost situation. Making compost from straw alone is not recommended, as it will not break down quickly enough without nitrogen and can result in a moldy mess. 

Tips on Compost and Straw

If you have pets, you may have soiled straw from the animal's bedding. It is okay to use this if the animal is an herbivore. The waste on the straw will break down in a well maintained compost pile. But compost and straw together should be avoided if the animal eats meat products. These can contain pathogens that the heat of the compost may not be able to break down. Once you have finished compost, let it cure for a couple of months before using it, as compost with a high degree of manure is often too hot for plants. 

Managing Straw in Compost

A good rule of thumb for compost composition is 3 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. That can come in the form of straw, paper, sawdust, and dried leaves. It is best to keep all pieces small for quicker break down. When using straw, mix it in well so it doesn't blow around. Make sure you turn the pile frequently and add moisture if it is running dry. Put your compost in a sunny location so it keeps nice and warm. Adding a layer of garden soil can speed up the process by introducing beneficial organisms. In a few months, with good management, your straw and other components will become dark, delicious compost. 

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 Weeds? 

The problem of having weeds in the compost bin is the possibility of getting weeds in your garden. Seeds and roots that survive composting can crop up in your beds. Sometimes this means getting a little volunteer tomato plant or a zucchini. When the volunteers are weeds, it’s a lot less fun. You’ve just added to your weeding chore. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t compost weeds. As plants in the compost pile decompose, it gets pretty hot. If the temperature is high enough, weed seeds will die and won’t be a problem later. The pile may not get hot enough though, and also there may be cooler pockets that harbor weeds. 

How to Compost Weeds

Compost from weeds can be perfectly safe and full of good nutrients. The secret is hot composting - ensuring the compost gets hot enough to kill any seeds and roots. Here’s how to do it: 

• Turn the pile regularly and frequently to make sure everything in the pile gets to be in the hot zone in the center. 
• Give your compost pile time to heat up and avoid adding new plant material to it. Start a second pile if you have more material to compost before the first is ready. 
• Check the temperature with a compost thermometer. It should reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 C). 

Another Way to Use Weeds in Compost

Another way to put weeds to use without risking getting their viable seeds into the compost is to make them into a liquid fertilizer. Soak weeds in water for about a month and then strain. The resulting liquid can be diluted and used to safely add nutrients to beds.

You know all about composting veggie peels and fruit cores, but what about composting wine? If you toss leftover wine into the compost heap, will you be harming or helping your pile? 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 about composting wine, read on.

Can You Compost Wine?

You might wonder why anyone would waste wine by pouring it on a compost heap in the first place. But sometimes you purchase wine that doesn’t taste good, or you let it sit around so long it turns. That’s when you might think of composting it.

Can you compost wine? You can, and there are a lot of theories about wine’s effect on compost.

One is certain: as a liquid, wine in compost will stand in for required water. Managing moisture in a working compost heap is essential to keeping the process going. If the compost pile gets too dry, the essential bacteria will die for lack of water.

Adding stale or leftover wine to the compost is an environmentally friendly way to get liquid in there without using water resources to do it.

Is Wine Good for Compost?

So, it’s probably not detrimental to your compost to add wine. But is wine good for compost? It might be. Some claim that wine acts as a compost “starter,” spurring on the bacteria in the compost to get busy.

Others say that the yeast in wine gives a boost to the decomposition of organic materials, especially wood-based products. And it is also claimed that, when you put wine in compost, the nitrogen in the wine may also help in breaking down carbon-based materials.

And anyone who makes their own wine can add the waste products in the composting bin as well. The same is said to be true for beer, and beer-making waste products. You can also compost the cork from the wine bottle.

But don’t overwhelm a small compost heap by adding gallons of wine to it. That much alcohol could throw off the requisite balance. And too much alcohol might kill off all of the bacteria. In short, add a little leftover wine to the compost heap if you like, but don’t make it a regular habit.

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. Home brew composting can be done in a bin, pile or even vermicomposter, but you must make sure the nitrogen rich mess is managed with plenty of carbon.

Can You Compost Spent Grains?

Composting home brew waste is just one more way you can personally reduce waste and reuse something that is no longer useful for its previous purpose. That wet mass of grain is organic and from the land, which means it can be sent back into the soil. You can take something that once was rubbish and turn it into black gold for the garden.

Your beer is made, and now it's time to clean up the brewing space. Well, before you can even sample that batch, the cooked barley, wheat or combination of grains will need to be disposed of. You can choose to throw it in the garbage or you can utilize it in the garden.

Spent grain composting is being done on a larger scale by big breweries. In the home garden, it can be used in several ways. You can place it in a standard compost bin or pile, a worm composter, or go the easy way and spread it over empty vegetable beds and then work it into the soil. This lazy man's method should be accompanied by some nice dry leaf litter, shredded newspaper, or other carbon or "dry" source.

Cautions on Composting Home Brew Waste

Those spent grains will release a lot of nitrogen and are considered "hot" items for the compost bin. Without plenty of aeration and a balancing amount of a dry carbon source, wet grains are going to become a smelly mess. The breakdown of the grains releases compounds that can get quite stinky, but you can prevent this making sure the composting materials are well aerated and aerobic.

In the absence of enough oxygen entering the pile, a buildup of noxious odors occurs that will drive away most of your neighbors. Add brown, dry organic items such as wood shavings, leaf litter, shredded paper, or even ripped up toilet tissue rolls. Inoculate new compost piles with some garden soil to help spread microorganisms to help speed up the composting process.

Other Methods of Spent Grain Composting

Large brewers have gotten quite creative in re-purposing the spent grains. Many turn it into mushroom compost and grow delicious fungi. While not strictly composting, the grain can be used in other ways, too.

Many growers turn it into dog treats, and some adventurous sorts make various types of nutty breads from the grain.

Home brew composting will return that precious nitrogen back into your soil, but if it isn't a process you are comfortable with, you can also just dig trenches in soil, pour the stuff in, cover with soil, and let the worms take it off your hands.

Most of us have at least a general idea of composting, but can you compost liquids? Kitchen scraps, yard refuse, pizza boxes, paper towels and more are commonly allowed to break down into nutrient rich soil, but adding liquids to compost is not commonly discussed. A good “cooking” compost pile should actually be kept moist, so liquid composting makes sense and can keep the pile of other items wet.

Can You Compost Liquids?

Eco-friendly cooks and gardeners often save organic matter in piles or bins and make their own compost. These should have a good balance of nitrogen and carbon, sit in a sunny location, and be turned frequently for best results. The other ingredient is moisture. This is where adding liquids to compost can help. There are a variety of liquids that are suitable, but a few you should probably avoid.

The top of your compost bin will often list the items your city will allow. Some may include what liquids are allowed, but most steer clear of these due to the weight and messiness. That doesn't mean you can't compost liquid in your own compost system, however. For instance, if you use a biodegradable dish soap, you can save your washing up water and use it to keep your compost pile moist.

The general rule is that the liquid should be plant based. As long as the liquid does not contain any chemical preservatives, drugs, or other items that could contaminate soil, composting liquids gets the thumbs up.

What Liquids are OK to Compost?

• Ketchup
• Graywater
• Soda
• Coffee
• Tea
• Milk (in small amounts)
• Beer
• Cooking oil (in small amounts)
• Juice
• Cooking water
• Urine (drug free)
• Canned food juices/brine

Again, any liquid is fine, but if it contains fats, it should be added in minimal amounts.

Tips on Composting Liquids

Keep in mind when adding liquids to compost you are increasing moisture. While the pile or bin contents need moisture, having a boggy situation can invite disease and rot and slow down the composting process.

If you are liquid composting, make sure you add dry leaves, newspapers, paper towels, straw, or other dry sources to help sop up the liquid. Aerate the pile well so excess moisture can be evaporated.

Keep an eye on the compost pile to regulate the moisture as needed. You really can compost liquids and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Composting is the secret ninja power all of us have. We can all help our Earth by recycling and reusing, and composting is a key ingredient to helping us lower our damaging effects on the planet. But sometimes things get tricky as you navigate which items can and can't be composted. For instance, can you compost soap? The answer depends upon what is in your soap.

Can You Compost Soap?

Keen to keep our Earth green and healthy? The compost pile is an effective way to reduce your waste and reuse it for all its glorious benefits. Soap scraps get too small to use easily and are often discarded, which begs the question, is soap bad for compost?

It seems logical that something you deem safe enough to cleanse your body with should be ok to go into the garden heap. Some tips on adding soap to compost can help you decide if soap scraps in compost are a good option.

Soap is the salt of a fatty acid that is effective in cleaning. Hard soap, like bar soap, is usually composed of fats that react with sodium hydroxide. They could be comprised of fats from coconut, lard, palm oil, tallow, and other oils or fats.

While essentially natural, fats do not break down well in compost piles which is why expert composters recommend not adding any meat to the mix. However, in a healthy, well-maintained composting system, there are enough beneficial organisms and bacteria to break down small amounts of fat. The key is to keep the right balance in the pile with the proper temperature.

Adding Soap to Compost

Is soap bad for compost? Not necessarily. It is important to know what is in your bar soap. Ivory and Castille (olive oil based soap), for example, are pure enough that small shards can safely be added to the compost pile. Break them up as much as possible so there are open surfaces for those good little bacteria to start breaking them down.

Avoid fancy soap with fragrance, dye, and, chemicals. These substances can contaminate your compost. If you don't know what is in your soap, it's better to throw the last bits away, or make your own hand soap, than try to reuse it in your compost.

Biodegradable soaps are safe to use in the compost bin. Expect shards of soap to take up to 6 months to break down. Examples of biodegradable soaps are those with beeswax, avocado oil, hemp seed oil, and other natural oils in them. They can actually be beneficial in keeping flies away from the decaying debris.

Another added benefit to such soaps is they make all the materials resistant to mildew. Avoid excess moisture in the pile. While it will help break down the soap, it can produce a sudsy mess that coats materials and could actually retard the composting process.

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.

Potatoes contain nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Composting potato peelings adds these nutrients to the pile and benefits the plants that will eventually be grown using that compost. So why the controversy?

Can Potato Peels Go in Compost?

The problem that can arise from adding potato peels to compost piles is that whole potatoes and their skins can carry potato blight. This is a fungal infection that affects both tomato and potato plants. Potato blight spores survive from one season to the next by overwintering on live plant tissue. Infected potato tubers are the perfect host.

The symptoms of blight on potato and tomato plants include yellow patches with brown centers on the leaves and dark patches on potato tubers. This is followed by the potato tubers rotting from the skin toward the center and eventually turning into a soggy mass. Unchecked, potato blight can wipe out entire crops of potatoes and tomatoes. There is reason for concern when it comes to adding potato peels to compost piles.

How Do You Compost Potato Skins?

Luckily, avoiding the spread of blight when composting potato peelings can be accomplished by following a few simple precautions:

• Don't compost potatoes showing evidence of blight. Store-bought potatoes can also carry the fungus.
• When adding potato peels to compost piles, bury them deep to prevent the eyes on the peels from sprouting.
• Build your compost pile with the right components. These include adequate amounts of air, water, greens, and browns. Greens are fruit and vegetable kitchen scraps, coffee and tea grounds, weeds, and grass clippings. Browns are wood-based products like sawdust, dead leaves, and paper.
• Make sure the compost pile stays consistently moist.
• Turn the pile every few weeks.

Following these precautions will help keep the compost pile active and generate sufficient heat to kill fungal spores. This makes adding potato peels to compost piles perfectly safe!

Compost consists of organic matter that has been decomposed. Finished compost is an extremely valuable asset for gardeners, as it can be used to enhance soil. Though compost can be purchased, many gardeners choose to make their own compost piles. In doing so, some knowledge will be required in order to distinguish between what items can and cannot be composted. This is especially important when conflicting information arises. The question, “Can I compost bread?” is one such example.

Can Bread Be Composted?

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. Choosing whether or not to compost stale bread will require research and consideration to each grower’s unique compost preferences.

Adding Bread to Compost

When adding bread to compost, there will be some considerations in order to obtain the best result. Those composting bread will need to pay special attention to the product ingredients to ensure that it does not contain anything that should not be composted, such as dairy. While fresh bread can be added to the compost, it is best added after it has gone stale and started to mold.

To begin the composting process, break the bread into small pieces. These pieces can be mixed with any other vegetable scraps going into the compost pile or added individually. Scraps should be added to the center of the compost pile and then covered completely. This should help discourage the presence of rodents and decrease the likelihood of a “smelly” compost pile. Those using closed or tumbler compost containers will clearly have the advantage in making certain to avoid unwanted animals in the compost pile.

Opinions differ regarding whether or not bread scraps should be considered a “green” or “brown” addition to the compost pile. However, most agree that its high nitrogen content means that it should be considered a green material. This is important since compost piles should only consist of roughly one third green materials.

For many home growers, the garden simply would not be complete without the addition of sunflowers. Whether grown for the seeds, cut flowers, or for visual interest, sunflowers are an easy-to-grow garden favorite. Sunflower seeds, when used in bird feeders, also attract a wide array of wildlife. What can you do with all those leftover sunflower hulls? Read on to learn more.

What to Do with Sunflower Hulls

Though extremely popular, it is likely that sunflowers have uses beyond what most of its growers may have imagined. Both the seeds and sunflower seed hulls have changed the way that many think about sustainability. Sunflower hulls, especially, are being used in new and exciting ways.

Sunflower producing regions have long used discarded sunflower hulls in applications ranging from an alternative fuel to wood replacements. While many of these uses are not easily replicated in the home garden, sunflower growers may be left to wonder what to do with sunflower hulls left in their own gardens.

Are Sunflower Seed Hulls Allelopathic?

Sunflowers are very unique in that they demonstrate allelopathy. Some plants, in order to gain advantage over others, contain chemical compounds that inhibit the growth and germination of other nearby plants and seedlings. These toxins are present in all parts of the sunflower, including the roots, leaves, and, yes, even the seed hulls.

Plants in close proximity to these chemicals may have great difficulty growing, depending upon the type of plant. It is for this reason that many homeowners may notice bare spaces below bird feeders where plants fail to grow.

Can You Compost Sunflower Seeds?

Though most gardeners are very familiar with guidelines related to home composting, there are always some exceptions. Unfortunately, very little research has been done regarding whether or not sunflower hulls in compost will negatively impact the finished compost that is produced.

While some suggest the composting sunflower hulls is not a good idea, others claim that the addition of sunflower hulls to the compost will not cause issue when done in moderation.

Instead of composting sunflower hulls, many master gardeners suggest their use as an all-natural weed suppressing mulch which can be used in already established flower gardens, as well as in garden paths and walkways.

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? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of putting leather into your compost pile.

Will Leather Break Down in Compost?

Leather has long been one of the substances you want to avoid putting in the compost pile, according to expert info online. Some of its ingredients are natural, but some additives are metal shavings and unknown chemicals, potentially slowing the composting process. These unknown ingredients can affect the behavior of the fertilization properties, slowing or even stopping them.

All composting materials should be metal-free, and this includes leather. Leather may also contain oils which are detrimental to the composting process. While dyes or pigments and tanning agents may degrade under certain biological conditions, they may not be available in the backyard compost pile. You most likely will want just a corner of the compost bin or a separate bin in which to do leather composting.

Your first concern of adding leather to the compost pile is will leather break down? If you know the oils and chemicals used to tan the hide and turn it into leather, you can determine how readily your particular leather will break down. If not, you probably don’t want to add leather to your main compost pile.

How to Compost Leather

While it is okay to add leather to compost, the breakdown of leather is a time-consuming process. Most other materials break down fairly quickly and decomposition may be sped up by frequent turning; not so with leather.

Learning how to compost leather more quickly includes the chore of cutting or shredding the leather into small pieces. If you wish to compost items such as handbags or belts, cut them as small as possible, removing zippers, studs, and other non-leather parts beforehand.

Is bird poop good for plants? The easy answer is yes; it’s actually good to have some bird droppings in the garden. Keep reading for tips on how to compost bird droppings and other helpful information.

How are Bird Droppings Beneficial to Plants?

In short, bird droppings make great fertilizer. Many gardeners depend on bird droppings for plants in the form of rotted chicken manure, which increases the nutrient level and water-holding capacity of soil.

You can’t, however, just toss a lot of bird poop on the soil and expect it to work miracles. In fact, large amounts of bird droppings in the garden may carry harmful pathogens. Also, fresh bird droppings are “hot,” and can burn tender stems and roots.

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

If you raise chickens, pigeons, pheasants, or any other type of bird, you probably use some type of bedding, which may be sawdust, dry leaves, straw, or similar material. Similarly, parrots, parakeets, and other indoor pet birds generally have newspaper lining the bottom of the cage.

When you’re ready to compost bird droppings, collect the droppings along with the bedding and dump it all into your compost, then mix it with the other materials in the bin. This includes newspaper, although you may want to tear it into smaller pieces. Don’t worry about bird seed; it is compostable, too.

Most bird manure is nitrogen-rich, so it should be added along with sawdust, straw, or other “brown” matter at a rate of approximately one part bird droppings to four or five parts brown materials (including the bedding).

The compost mix should be about as wet as a wrung-out sponge, so water lightly if necessary. If the mixture is too dry, it will take longer to compost. However, if it is too wet, it may begin to stink.

A note about safety: Always wear gloves when working with bird droppings. Wear a face mask if dust is present (such as an aviary, chicken coop, or pigeon loft).

You may or may not be aware of how beer can be used in the garden, and the title of this article may induce shudders of revulsion in teetotalers and cringes of dismay in beer aficionados; nonetheless, the questions stands. 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. Read on to learn more.

Can Beer Be Composted?

Those new to composting may have some trepidation introducing anything “out of the norm” to the compost pile. It is true that a compost pile requires a delicate balance between carbon and nitrogen, moisture, and sufficient aeration in order to create enough heat to break down. Too much or too little of one thing can disrupt the balance, leading to a wet, stinky pile or a dry one where nothing breaks down.

With regards to composting leftover beer, yes, beer can be composted. In fact, if you have beer that is going south after a party, it is a better idea to put the beer in the compost than to dump it down the drain. Read on to find out why you should compost beer rather than throwing it out.

About Beer in Compost

Now that we have ascertained that you can compost beer, here are some reasons why. Beer contains yeast, which is nitrogen rich and ideal for breaking down carbon-based materials in the compost pile. Yeast stimulates the decomposition of organic materials, accelerating the composting process.

You can just add the spent beer directly to the pile, or you can make an accelerant by combining the beer with ammonia, warm water, and regular soda and add it to the compost pile.

Beer added to the compost pile also increases moisture to the pile. This is a great way to use old beer in areas of water restriction. Plus, adding beer adds the nitrogen and yeast that stimulate bacteria into breaking down materials more rapidly.

That said, if the pile gets too wet, the pile (bacteria) can die. If it seems too wet, add some shredded newspaper or other dry carbon material to the pile and turn it to aerate and mix it.

So, the next time you have a party and end up with open growlers leftover, use them in the compost pile instead of disposing of them down the drain. The same, by the way, goes for those open bottles of wine. Unless you are drinking or cooking with it right away, add the wine to the compost pile. Just remember not to make the pile too wet or you will kill off the beneficial bacteria.

Growing plants for the compost pile instead of just throwing in your kitchen waste is next level composting. Turning your food waste into nutrients for the garden is a great way to reuse and recycle, but you can go even further by growing specific plants to make your compost even richer.

Composting Plants and Biodynamic Gardening

Compost is a great way to avoid waste and also to enrich your gardening, but some gardeners practice more intensive organic methods that include specifically growing plants for the compost pile. Basic composting is pretty simple, and it involves starting a pile of organic waste that can include food waste, grass clippings, twigs, and other garden waste. There are some important steps you have to take, such as turning your compost, but basically the recipe is to throw in whatever waste you have to hand. With plants grown for compost, you add specific plants to the pile to enrich it in a particular way. This is a common practice in biodynamic, or bio-intensive, gardening, and while you may not want to embrace every aspect of these gardening philosophies, take a cue from the rich compost preparations and consider adding specific plants to your pile for optimal nutrients.

Plants to Grow for the Compost Pile

There are several plants that improve compost nutrient content, and most are easy to grow and can become a part of your garden specifically for the purpose of composting, or a secondary purpose. One of the most obvious choices is any type of legume, like clover or alfalfa. These plants fix nitrogen and are easy to grow between rows and at the edges of gardens. Harvest them and toss the clippings into your compost pile for added nitrogen. A couple of herbs are also great composting plants: borage and comfrey. Both grow quickly to give you a lot of greens for the compost pile and add nutrients like phosphorus and zinc. Comfrey is also a good source of macronutrient potassium. Yarrow is another great plant to grow for compost, as it helps with decomposition. Grow extra brassicas in your garden and use the excess in compost. Brassicas include kale and daikon radish. Use the remaining parts of the plants after harvest to enrich the compost pile with extra nutrients. Growing plants for compost is a smart way to enrich your garden, and it’s easy too. Legumes will enrich the soil where they grow and in the compost pile, while brassicas and herbs can do double duty for the compost and at harvest time.

If you don’t have your own compost, chances are good that the city in which you reside has a compost bin service. Composting is big and for good reason, but sometime the rules about what is compostable can be confusing. For instance, can vegetable oil be composted?

Can Vegetable Oil Be Composted?

Think about it, vegetable oil is organic so logically you would assume you could compost leftover cooking oil. This is sort of true. You can compost leftover cooking oil IF it is in very small amounts and IF it is a vegetable oil such as corn oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, or rapeseed oil. Adding too much vegetable oil to compost slows down the composting process. Excess oil forms water resistant barriers around other materials, thereby reducing air flow and displacing water, which is necessary to aerobic composting. The result is a pile that becomes anaerobic, and you will know it! The stinky smell of rotten food will repel you but send out a welcoming aroma to every rat, skunk, opossum, and raccoon in the neighborhood. So, when adding vegetable oil to compost, only add small amounts. For example, it’s okay to add the paper towels that soaked up some grease, but you don’t want to dump the contents of the Fry Daddy into the compost heap. When composting vegetable oil, make sure your compost is hot, between 120 and 150 degrees F. (49-66 C.) and stirred around on a regular basis. If you pay for a composting service in your city, the same rules may apply, that is a few oil-soaked paper towels are okay but be sure to check with your provider first. Any large amounts of vegetable oil in compost bins would, I’m sure, be frowned upon. For one thing, vegetable oil in compost bins would be a mess, smell, and, again, attract vermin, bees, and flies. If you don’t even want to try composting vegetable oil in very small amounts, don’t rinse it down the drain! This can cause a clog and backup. Put it into a sealed plastic or metal container and dispose of it in the trash. If you have a large quantity, you can reuse it or if it’s gone rancid and you must dispose of it, contact your local government or Earth911 to find facilities that will recycle it for you.

In Maine, where a majority of the U.S. lobsters are caught and processed, lobster producers have considered many ways to dispose of lobster byproducts. For example, a few professors and students at the University of Maine invented a biodegradable golf ball made from ground lobster shells. Named “Lobshot,” it was specifically created for golfers on cruise ships or boats, as it breaks down within a few weeks of being lobbed into water. Generally, though, lobster byproducts are legally dumped back into the ocean or used in the production of compost. Since the early 1990's, many lobster producers in Maine and Canada have jumped on the compost bandwagon.

Using Lobster Shells in the Garden

A home garden's compost pile will be localized and personalized by its gardener. In the Midwest, where everyone loves their lush green lawns, a gardener's compost pile will probably contain a lot of grass clippings; but in arid desert-like areas, grass clippings can be sparse in a compost pile. Coffee lovers, like myself, will have plenty of coffee grounds and filters to compost; but if you start each day with a healthy, homemade smoothie, your compost bin may contain a lot of fruit and vegetable peels. Likewise, in coastal areas where seafood is a common staple, naturally, you would find clam, shrimp, and lobster shells in compost bins. What you put in your compost bin is up to you, but the key to great compost is proper balance of nitrogen rich “greens” and carbon rich “browns.” In order for a compost pile to heat up and decompose properly, it should be comprised of about 1 part “greens” for every 4 parts of “browns.” In composting, the terms “greens” or “browns” doesn't necessarily describe colors. Greens may refer to grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps, alfalfa, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc. Browns may refer to pine needles, dry leaves, paper products, sawdust or wood shavings, etc. It is also very important to frequently turn and stir a compost pile, so it can evenly decompose.

How to Compost Lobster Shells

Like eggshells, lobster shells in compost bins are considered “greens.” However, because they breakdown slower than grass clippings or weeds, it is recommended that you grind or crush them before adding lobster shells to compost. You should also rinse lobster shells thoroughly before composting them to remove any excess salts. When mixed with grass clippings or yarrow, decomposition time can be sped up. Lobster shells add calcium, phosphates, and magnesium to compost piles. They also contain a carbohydrate called Chitin, which retains moisture and deters harmful insects. Calcium is important because it helps plants develop string cell walls and can help prevent blossom end rot and other vegetable diseases. Some plants that will benefit from the extra calcium from composted lobster shells include:

• Apples
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Cherries
• Citrus
• Conifers
• Grapes
• Legumes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peanuts
• Potatoes
• Roses
• Tobacco
• Tomatoes

Composting is the gardening gift that keeps on giving. You get rid of your old scraps and in return you get rich growing medium. However, not everything is ideal for composting. Before you put something new on the compost heap, it’s worth your while to learn a little more about it. For instance, if you ask yourself, “can I compost peanut shells,” then you’ll need to learn whether it’s always a good idea to put peanut shells in compost. Keep reading to learn more about how to compost peanut shells, and if it’s feasible to do so.

Are Peanut Shells Good for Compost?

The answer to that question really depends upon where you are. In the southern United States, the use of peanut shells as mulch has been linked to the spread of Southern Blight and other fungal diseases. While it’s true that the composting process may kill any fungus that’s being harbored in the shells, Southern Blight can be nasty, and it’s really better to be safe than sorry. It’s not as much of a problem in other parts of the world, but it has been seen spreading farther north in recent years, so take this warning into account.

How to Compost Peanut Shells

Apart from the worry about blight, composting peanut shells is pretty easy. The shells are a little on the tough and on the dry side, so it’s a good idea to break them up and wet them down to help the process along. You can shred them or simply put them on the ground and step on them. Next, either soak them for 12 hours first, or put them on the compost heap and wet it down thoroughly with the hose. If the shells are from salted peanuts, you should soak them and change the water at least once to get rid of the extra salt. That’s all there is to composting peanut shells should you decide to do it.

Picture a midsummer storm passing through. Downpours soak the Earth and her flora so quickly that rainwater drips, splashes and pools up. The warm, breezy air is thick, wet and humid. Stems and branches hang limp, wind whipped and beaten down by rain. This picture is a breeding ground for fungal disease. The midsummer sun peaks out from behind the clouds and increased humidity releases fungal spores, which are carried on the damp wind to land, spreading wherever the breeze takes them. When fungal diseases, such as tar spot or powdery mildew, are in an area, unless your landscape is in its own protective bio-dome, it is susceptible. You can take preventative measures, treat your own plants with fungicides and be religious about garden clean up, but you can’t catch every airborne spore or infected leaf that may blow into your yard. Fungus happens. So what do you do in autumn when you have a yard full of fungal infected fallen leaves? Why not throw them in the compost heap.

Can I Compost Diseased Plant Leaves?

Composting diseased leaves is a controversial subject. Some experts will say throw everything in your compost bin, but then contradict themselves with “except...” and list off all the things you shouldn't compost, like foliage with pests and disease. Other experts argue that you really can throw EVERYTHING on the compost pile as long as you balance it with a proper ratio of carbon rich ingredients (browns) and nitrogen rich ingredients (greens) and then give it enough time to heat up and decompose. By hot composting, pests and diseases will be killed off by heat and microorganisms. If your yard or garden is full of fallen leaves with tar spot or other fungal diseases, it is essential to clean up these leaves and dispose of them somehow. Otherwise, the fungi will just lay dormant through winter and as temperatures heat up in spring, the disease will once again spread. To dispose of these leaves, you only have a few options.

• You can burn them, as this will kill off the pathogens that cause disease. Most cities and townships have burning ordinances, though, so this isn't an option for everyone.
• You can rake up, blow and pile all the leaves and leave them at the curb for the city to collect. However, many cities will then put the leaves in a city run compost pile, which may or may not be processed correctly, can still carry disease and is sold cheap or given away to city residents.
• The last option is you can compost them yourself and ensure pathogens are killed off in the process.

Using Diseased Leaves in Compost

When composting leaves with powdery mildew, tar spot or other fungal diseases, the compost pile must reach a temperature of at least 140 degrees F. (60 C.) but no more than 180 degrees F. (82 C.). It should be aerated and turned when it reaches about 165 degrees F. (74 C.) to allow oxygen in and to mix it around to thoroughly heat up all the decomposing matter. To kill off fungal spores, this ideal temperature should be kept for at least ten days. For materials in a compost pile to process correctly, you need to have the proper ratio of (brown) carbon rich materials such as autumn leaves, corn stalks, wood ash, peanut shells, pine needles, and straw; and the proper ratio of (green) nitrogen rich materials such as weeds, grass clippings, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, vegetable garden waste and manure. The suggested ratio is about 25 parts brown to 1 part green. Microorganisms that break down composted materials use carbon for energy and use nitrogen for protein. Too much carbon, or brown materials, can slow down decomposition. Too much nitrogen can cause the pile to smell very bad. When putting leaves with fungus in compost, balance these browns with the proper amount of greens for best results. Also, be sure the compost pile reaches the ideal temperature and stays there long enough to kill off pests and diseases. If diseased leaves are composted properly, the plants you place this compost around will be far more at risk of contracting air borne fungal diseases then catching anything from the compost.

“If it’s edible, it’s compostable.” – Almost anything you read about composting will say this phrase or something similar like, “compost any kitchen scraps.” Oftentimes, a few paragraphs later come the contradictions such as don't add meat, dairy, pickles, etc. to your compost pile. "Aren't meat and dairy products edible and common kitchen scraps?" you may sarcastically question. 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 safely composting pickles.

Can I Compost Pickles?

Certain items, like meat and dairy, can attract unwanted pests to compost piles. Other items, like pickles, can throw off the pH balance of compost. While the cucumbers and dill used in pickles can add great nutrients (potassium, magnesium, copper, and manganese) to a compost pile, the vinegar in pickles can add too much acid and kill beneficial bacteria. Pickles also usually contain a lot of salt, which can be harmful to many plants in high concentrations. Store-bought pickles are usually made with a lot of preservatives that can make them hard to break down in a compost pile. On the other hand, vinegar can deter many pests. It is also a natural weed control because of its high acidity. Apple cider vinegar contains many valuable nutrients that can benefit the compost pile. Many pickles are also made with garlic, which can also deter pests and add valuable nutrients. So, the answer to the question, “Can pickles go in compost?” is yes, but in moderation. A good compost pile will contain a wide variety of compostable materials. While I wouldn’t recommend dumping ten full jars of pickles in a small compost pile, a few leftovers here or there are perfectly acceptable.

How to Compost Pickles

If you do put a large number of pickles in compost, balance the pH by also adding lime or other matter that will add alkalinity. Compost with store-bought pickles in it may also benefit from adding yarrow, which is a plant that can help speed up decomposition in compost piles. There are also store-bought products you can buy specifically made to help compost break down. Many people who add pickles to compost recommend removing the pickles from the pickle juice and rinsing them off before adding them to the compost pile. You can set this pickle juice aside to use as a natural weed killer or keep it in the fridge as a remedy for leg cramps. Other experts on compost recommend putting the pickles, juice and all, in a blender to make a purée before adding them to the compost pile so they will break down faster and mix in better. Just remember to use a variety of things in your compost pile and, when using highly acidic items, balance the pH with alkaline.

You may have heard some debate on the controversial subject of using biosolids as compost for agriculture or home gardening. Some experts advocate its use and claim it is a solution for some of our waste problems. Other experts disagree and say biosolids contain harmful toxins that shouldn't be used around edibles. So, what are biosolids? Continue reading to learn about composting with biosolids.

What are Biosolids?

Biosolids is an organic material made from wastewater solids. Meaning, everything we flush down the toilet or wash down the drain turns into biosolid material. These waste materials are then broken down by micro-organisms. Excess water is drained and the solid material that remains is heat treated to remove pathogens. This is the proper treatment the FDA recommends. Biosolids created at wastewater treatment plants need to follow strict guidelines and are tested often to make sure they do not contain pathogens and other toxins.

Biosolids Compost for Gardening

In a recent publication regarding the use of biosolids, the FDA says, “Properly treated manure or biosolids can be an effective and safe fertilizer. Untreated, improperly treated, or recontaminated manure or biosolids used as a fertilizer, used to improve soil structure, or that enters surface or ground waters through runoff may contain pathogens of public health significance that can contaminate produce.”

However, not all biosolids come from wastewater treatment plants and may not be tested or treated properly. These may contain contaminates and heavy metals. These toxins can infect the edibles they are used as compost for. This is where the controversy comes in and also because some people are just disgusted by the thought of using human waste as compost.

Those who are strongly against using biosolids cite all sorts of horror stories of people and animals becoming sick from contaminated plants that were grown with biosolids. If you do your homework, though, you will see that most of these incidents they mention happened in the 1970's and 1980's. In 1988, the EPA passed the Ocean Dumping Ban. Before this, all sewage was dumped into the oceans. This caused high levels of toxins and contaminates to poison our oceans and marine life. Due to this ban, wastewater treatment plants were forced to find new options for disposing sewage sludge.

Since then, more and more wastewater treatment facilities have been turning sewage into biosolids for use as compost. It is a much more environmentally friendly option than the previous way sewage was handled prior to 1988.

Using Biosolids in Vegetable Gardens

Properly treated biosolids can add nutrients to vegetable gardens and create better soil. Biosolids add nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc – all beneficial elements for plants.

Improperly treated biosolids can contain heavy metals, pathogens, and other toxins. However, these days most biosolids are properly treated and completely safe for use as compost. When using biosolids, be sure you know exactly where they came from. If you get them directly from your local wastewater treatment facility, they will have been properly treated and carefully monitored and tested to ensure they meet government safety standards before becoming available to purchase.

When using biosolids compost for gardening, follow general safety precautions like hand washing, wearing gloves, and cleaning tools. These safety precautions should be used when handling any compost or manure anyway. As long as biosolids are acquired from a reliable, monitored source, they are no more unsafe than any other compost we use regularly in gardens.

Styrofoam was once a common packaging for food but has been banned in most food services today. It is still widely used as packing material for shipping and one large purchase may contain huge pieces of the lightweight stuff. If you don't have a handy facility nearby that deals with the packing material, what can you do with it? Can you compost styrofoam?

Can You Compost Styrofoam?

Styrofoam is not recyclable in city waste programs. There are sometimes special facilities that will repurpose the material but not every municipality has one nearby. Styrofoam will not break down like organic items. It is made of polystyrene and is 98% air, which gives it the light texture and buoyancy characteristic of the product. It is also a possible human carcinogen, which has led to its being banned in many states. If you are wondering how to compost styrofoam, think twice since it can be potentially hazardous to living organisms. Styrofoam is simply fluffed up plastic. Plastic is a petroleum product and is not compostable; therefore, composting styrofoam is not possible. However, some gardeners are putting styrofoam in compost to increase air circulation and moisture percolation. This is a disputed practice since the material may be dangerous in large amounts and food crops can potentially be contaminated by its various components. Additionally, it will remain in the soil indefinitely. A very tiny amount of styrofoam can be used in compost but larger pieces should be sent to a special treatment facility. Styrofoam that is exposed to heat will give off gas and release the toxic chemical Styrene, which has been linked to a host of health problems, so using it in your garden is really up to you.

Putting Styrofoam in Compost

If you’ve decided to go ahead and add to compost, then any styrofoam used to aerate compost should be broken up into tiny pieces, no bigger than a pea. The amount you use should be proportionally minute with a ratio of 1 to 50 or more of compost. The product really isn't more beneficial than other good sources of texture in the soil such as pebbles, sticks and twigs, sand, commercial vermiculite, or ground pumice. If you just want to get rid of styrofoam, consider repurposing it. The stuff makes great insulation for greenhouses and cold frames. If you have a school nearby, take clean styrofoam there for use in craft projects. It is also useful as a float for fishing or trapping crabs. Many boatyards use styrofoam for a host of applications.

Alternatives to Composting Styrofoam

In order to keep potentially dangerous chemicals out of your garden, it might just be best to get rid of the material another way. Many waste management facilities have styrofoam recycling facilities. You can also send it to the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers where it will be cleaned and reused. More drop-off locations can be found at foamfacts.com. There is a study out that states that mealworms can be fed a diet of styrofoam and their resulting castings are safe for garden use. Should you find yourself in possession of a lot of mealworms, this method seems safer and more beneficial than simply breaking up pieces of styrofoam and mixing them into your compost. Petroleum products are very damaging to the environment and using these potentially hazardous items in your garden just doesn't seem like it is worth the risk.

Composting is an amazing process. 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. Keep reading to learn more about adding feathers to compost piles.

How to Compost Feathers Safely

Can you compost bird feathers? You absolutely can. In fact, feathers are some of the most nitrogen-rich composting materials around. Compostable items are generally split into two categories: browns and greens.

• Browns are rich in carbon and include such things as dead leaves, paper products, and straw.
• Greens are rich in nitrogen and include things like coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, and, of course, feathers.

Both browns and greens are essential to good compost, and if you feel like you’re too heavy on one, it’s a good idea to compensate with a lot of the other. Composting feathers is a great way to raise your soil's nitrogen content because they’re very efficient and often free.

Composting Feathers

The first step in adding feathers to compost is finding a feather source. If you’re fortunate enough to keep backyard chickens, you’ll have a constant supply from the feathers they lose naturally day to day. If you don’t, try turning to down pillows. Sad old pillows that have lost their oomph can be opened up and emptied. If you can, try to find a factory that makes down products-- they may be persuaded to give you their leftover feathers for free. Bird feathers in compost break down relatively easily-- they should break down totally within just a few months. The only real hazard is wind. Make sure to add your feathers on a day without wind and cover them up with heavier material once you’ve added them to keep them from blowing everywhere. You can also soak them in water for a day beforehand both to weigh them down and jump-start the decomposing process. Note: Don’t use bird feather compost that you’ve randomly found just laying around without knowing the source, as they could be contaminated by sick or diseased bird species.

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. In fact, composting is one of the best uses for spent hops. Read on to learn about composting hops, including an important safety note for pet owners.

Used Hops in Compost

Composting spent hops is similar to composting leaves or grass, and the same general composting guidelines apply. Be sure to combine the hops, which are warm and wet, with an adequate amount of brown material such as shredded paper, sawdust, or dry leaves. Otherwise, the compost can become anaerobic, which in simple terms means the compost is too wet, lacks adequate oxygen, and can become sloppy and smelly in a hurry.

Tips for Composting Hops

Turn the compost pile regularly. It’s also helpful to add a few woody twigs or small branches to create air pockets, which help prevent the compost from becoming too wet. Composters use an easy method to determine if the compost is too wet. Just squeeze a handful. If water drips through your fingers, the compost needs more dry material. If the compost is dry and crumbly, moisten it by adding water. If the compost remains in a clump and your hands feel damp, congratulations! Your compost is just right.

Warning: Hops are Highly Toxic to Dogs (and Maybe to Cats)

Forego composting hops if you have dogs, as hops are extremely toxic and potentially deadly to members of the canine species. According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), ingestion of hops can bring on a number of symptoms, including an uncontrollable rise in body temperature and seizures. Without aggressive treatment, death can occur as soon as six hours. Some dogs appear to be more susceptible than others, but it’s best not to take chances with your canine buddy. Hops may also be toxic to cats. However, most cats tend to be finicky eaters and are less likely to eat hops.

Composting corn cobs and husks is a sustainable process of turning garbage bound kitchen leftovers into garden-rich nutrients for your plants. You can also use other discarded parts of the corn plant in your compost pile, such as the stalks, leaves, and even the corn silks. Read on for tips on composting these items successfully.

Composting Corn Husks

The husks – these form the outer layer that protects the developing corn – are discarded when you peel them away to expose the corn kernels. Instead of tossing them in the trash, simply toss them in your compost pile. For composting corn husks, you can use green husks, which are removed before eating fresh corn, or brown husks, which are left intact around the ears of corn to be used for harvesting seed or feeding livestock.

Can Corn Cobs Go in Compost?

Yes, they can! Although composting a corn cob takes longer than composting corn husks, the cobs serve an additional purpose even before they decompose into usable compost. Left intact, corn cobs provide air pockets in a compost pile. These air pockets help speed up the decomposition process so your compost is ready to use quicker than it would be from an oxygen deprived pile.

How to Compost Corn Plants

Open or Enclosed. For composting corn cobs and husks, as well as other parts of the corn plant and other organic matter, you can use an open compost pile, or you can build a frame to keep the contents enclosed. Your frame can be made of wire mesh, concrete blocks, or wooden pallets, but be sure to leave the bottom open so the compost drains well. Ratio Recipe. Keep a 4:1 ratio of “brown” to “green” ingredients so your compost pile doesn't become soggy, which can cause an offensive odor. For example, when composting corn cobs and husks, the “greener” the ingredients, the more moisture they’ll contribute. “Brown” includes dried plant parts, and “green” refers to the still moist and freshly cut or shucked parts. Tip: The moisture content of your compost pile should ideally be 40 percent – as moist as a lightly dampened sponge. Size of Materials. Simply put, the larger the pieces, the longer it takes them to degrade into compost. When you’re composting a corn cob, it’ll decompose more rapidly if you cut it into smaller pieces. For composting corn husks, you can shred them into smaller pieces by mowing over them, or you can leave them whole. Turning the Pile. Turning a compost pile moves the air inside it and hastens decomposition. Use a spading fork or shovel to lift and turn the compost at least once a month.

When is the Compost Ready to Use?

Finished compost is dark brown and crumbly, with no foul odor. There should be no recognizable pieces of organic matter. Since composting corn cobs take longer than composting other parts of the corn plant, you may still see some bits of cobs left after the other organic matter has sufficiently broken down. You can remove these cobs, use the finished compost, and toss the cobs back into the compost pile.

What is activated charcoal? Used in many commercial, industrial, and household applications, activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen, which creates a fine, porous material. The millions of tiny pores work like a sponge that can absorb certain toxins. 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, including smelly compost.

Can Charcoal Be Composted?

Many commercial compost bins and buckets come with an activated charcoal filter in the lid, which helps to neutralize odors. As a general rule, activated and horticultural charcoal can safely be incorporated into compost, and small amounts will help to neutralize unpleasant odors. However, charcoal from barbecue briquettes or your fireplace charcoal ashes in compost should be used sparingly, as too much can raise the pH level of the compost beyond the desired level of 6.8 to 7.0.

Using Activated Charcoal in Compost

In general, you should limit your use of activated charcoal to about a cup (237 ml.) of charcoal for each square foot (929 sq. cm.) of compost. One caveat: if you use commercial briquettes, read the label and don’t add briquettes to your garden if the product contains lighter fluid or other chemicals that make briquettes easier to light.

Horticultural Charcoal vs. Activated Charcoal

Horticultural charcoal has many positive qualities but, unlike activated charcoal, horticultural charcoal doesn't have spongy air pockets, so it lacks the ability to absorb odors or toxins. However, horticultural charcoal is a lightweight material that may improve poor soil by improving drainage and increasing the soil’s moisture-retaining capabilities. It may also reduce the leaching of nutrients from the soil. Use horticultural charcoal in small quantities – no more than one part charcoal to nine parts soil or potting mix.

When this title came across my desktop from my editor, I had to wonder if she misspelled something. The word “haulms” had me flummoxed. It turns out that "haulms" are simply the tops, stems, and foliage of the potato plant, and this term is commonly used amongst our friends across the pond in the U.K. At any rate, the question is whether composting potato haulms is okay and, if so, how to compost potato plant haulms. Let's find out more.

Can You Add Potato Tops to Compost?

There seems to be some debate about the safety of composting potato haulms. Of course, potato haulms in compost will decompose just like any other organic matter. Potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers are all members of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family and, as such, contain alkaloids that can be toxic. The conundrum is if composting potato haulms will render the resulting compost toxic in some way. This does not seem to be an issue, however, as the composting process will make the alkaloids inactive. Another reason for questioning the veracity of potato haulms in compost is due to the possibility of transferring disease. Growing potato haulms are commonly afflicted with blight, so composting them may harbor disease or fungal spores which are not broken down during the composting cycle. If you know that you will not be using the resulting compost with any Solanacea crops, this is probably okay, but not all of us can plan exactly where our compost will end up. There is then a risk of transmitting disease to the successive year's plantings. Lastly, there are often tiny tubers left on the plant that, when composted, thrive in the warm, nutrient-rich pile. Some folks like these volunteers, while others feel they may foster disease. In summary, the answer to “can you add potato tops to compost,” is yes. It's probably wisest to only compost haulms that are disease-free and, unless you want errant spuds in the pile, remove all those little tubers if it bothers you. You will want to run fairly hot compost that will render any potential disease inert, but that is the case with most everything. Otherwise, it seems that there may be some modicum of risk when adding potato haulms to the compost bin, but it seems to be minimal. If you are concerned about putting potato haulms in your bin, then “when in doubt, throw it out.” As for myself, I will continue to compost almost any organic matter but will err on the side of caution and dispose of any diseased plants.

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. Read on to find out.

Can You Use Pond Scum in the Garden?

Yes. Since pond scum and algae are living organisms, they are rich sources of nitrogen that break down quickly in the compost pile. Using pond scum as fertilizer also incorporates important nutrients, such as potassium and phosphorus, into the compost. Spring is an ideal time for annual pond cleaning, and for making pond scum garden fertilizer.

Composting Algae from Ponds

The easiest way to remove pond scum is to use a swimming pool skimmer or a rake. Let excess water drain, then place the scum in a bucket or wheelbarrow. If the water is salty, rinse the scum with a garden hose before adding it to the compost pile. To incorporate pond scum into a compost pile, begin with a 4 to 6 inch (10-15 cm.) layer of carbon-rich (brown) materials such as straw, cardboard, shredded paper, or dead leaves. Mix the pond scum with other nitrogen-rich (green) materials such as vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, or fresh grass clippings. Spread about 3 inches (8 cm.) of this mixture over the brown layer. Top the pile with several handfuls of regular garden soil, which introduces beneficial soil bacteria and speeds the process of decomposition. Moisten the pile lightly with a garden hose and nozzle attachment. Continue layering brown and green materials until the pile is at least 3 feet (1 m.) deep, which is the minimum depth required for successful composting. The pile should heat up within 24 hours. Turn the compost pile at least once every week, or whenever the compost begins to cool down. Check the moisture of the compost every two to three days. The compost is damp enough if it feels like a moist—but not dripping—sponge.

Pond Scum Uses

Pond scum compost is ready to use when it is dark brown with a crumbly texture and rich, earthy aroma. There are several ways you can use the compost as pond scum fertilizer in the garden. For example, spread up to 3 inches (8 cm.) of the compost over the soil just before spring planting, then dig or plow it into the soil, or spread the compost evenly over the soil as mulch. You can also make potting soil for indoor plants by mixing equal parts pond scum compost with perlite or clean, coarse sand.

In this era of environmental consciousness and sustainable living, it may seem that composting human waste, sometimes known as humanure, makes sense. The topic is highly debatable, but most experts agree that using human waste as compost is a bad idea. However, others believe that human waste composting can be effective, but only when it is done according to accepted protocols and strict safety guidelines. Let's learn more about human waste composting.

Is it Safe to Compost Human Waste?

In the home garden, composted human waste is considered to be unsafe for use around vegetables, berries, fruit trees or other edible plants. Although human waste is rich in plant-healthy nutrients, it also contains viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that are not effectively removed by standard home composting processes. Although managing human waste at home is generally not sensible or responsible, large-scale composting facilities have the technology to process the waste at extremely high temperatures for extended lengths of time. The resulting product is heavily regulated and frequently tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure bacteria and pathogens are below detectable levels. The highly processed sewage sludge, generally known as biosolid waste, is often used for agricultural applications, where it improves soil quality and reduces dependence on chemical fertilizers. However, stringent record-keeping and reporting are required. In spite of the high-tech, closely monitored process, some environmental groups are concerned that the material may contaminate soil and crops.

Using Humanure in Gardens

Proponents of using humanure in gardens often use composting toilets, which are designed to contain human waste safely while the material is converted to usable compost. A composting toilet may be an expensive commercial device or a homemade toilet in which waste is collected in buckets. The waste is transferred to compost piles or bins where it is mixed with sawdust, grass clippings, kitchen waste, newspaper, and other compostable material. Composting human waste is risky business and requires a compost system that produces a high temperature and maintains the temperature long enough to kill bacteria and pathogens. Although some commercial composting toilets are approved by local sanitation authorities, homemade humanure systems are rarely approved.

Can you put sweetgum balls in the compost? No, I am not talking about the sweet gumballs that we blow bubbles with. In fact, sweetgum balls are anything but sweet. They are an extremely prickly fruit-- inedible by the way. Most people want to know how to get rid of the tree from which they come, how to prevent it from fruiting, or if you can compost sweetgum balls. Anything, just get rid of the darn things! Read on for information about composting gumballs.

What are Sweetgum Balls?

As previously mentioned, sweetgum balls are the fruit of a medium to large size tree (65-155 feet or 20-47 m. tall) with a trunk up to 6 feet (2 m.) across that can live for an extremely long time -- up to 400 years. The sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) produces an extremely spiked capsule containing one or two seeds in the summer. The resulting dropped fruits become woody and are the bane of any wanderer, as they will pierce tender flesh. The tree prefers moist bottomland and plenty of sun and, as such, is found from southern New England to Florida and west into the nation's interior states. The fruit was once used by the Cherokee Indian tribes as a medicinal tea for the treatment of flu symptoms. Today, the active ingredient of the infertile sweetgum seeds, which contain high amounts of shikimic acid, is used in the preparation of Tamiflu, but other than that is more of a bane in the landscape.

Can You Compost Sweetgum Balls?

As to putting sweetgum in compost, there doesn't seem to be any general consensus. If you are a purist and believe that you should attempt to compost everything, then the best bet is to run a “hot” compost pile. If you run a cool pile, sweetgum in compost will likely not break down and very possibly you will end up with volunteers sprouting from the pile.

How to Compost Sweetgum Balls

The woody fruit, from all accounts, will require a hot compost pile with an internal temperature of over 100 degrees F. (37 C.) You will need to maintain the pile, turning the compost and watering it religiously. Keep the compost pile hot and bring your patience. Sweetgum balls will take some time to break down. Composting gumballs may not result in the most attractive mulch, but the resulting compost is useful as a barrier against rabbits, slugs, and other pests. The rough compost will be unpleasant to the undersides or the feet of these animals and may deter them from romping through the garden.

It's a beautiful thing, how compost turns otherwise useless organic material into prized plant food and soil amendment for the garden. Almost any organic material, unless diseased or radioactive, can be added to the compost pile.

There are few restrictions, however, and even those may simply need to be pre-treated correctly before inclusion in your compost. Take potatoes for instance; many people say not to add them to the pile. The reason in this case is the spuds' desire to replicate and become more potatoes, turning into a pile of tubers instead of an organic mixture. Squashing the tubers before adding them to the pile will solve this problem.

But what about onions in compost? Can you compost onions? The answer is a resounding, “yes.” Composted onion waste is just as valuable an organic ingredient as most any with a few caveats.

How to Compost Onion Peelings

The issue when composting onions is similar to the potato, in that the onion wants to grow. To avoid new shoots from sprouting from the onions in compost piles, again, chop it up into halves and quarters before tossing it into the compost bin.

If you are not trying to compost an entire onion, then the question may be, “how to compost onion peelings?” Onion skins and scraps do not result in the growth of more onions, but they may add an unpleasant aroma to the pile and lure pests or wildlife (or the family dog to digging!). Rotting onions really do smell extremely bad. When composting onions, bury them at least 10 inches (25.5 cm.) deep, or more, and be aware that when you turn your compost pile, the possibility of an unsavory aroma of rotting onion may stop you in your tracks for a moment.

In general, the larger the piece of onion added to the compost, the longer it takes to decompose. Of course, this rule applies to all large organic scraps whether vegetable, fruit or branches and sticks. Additionally, if odor is of primary concern, adding crushed oyster shells, newsprint or cardboard can aid in eliminating or, at the very least, controlling noxious smells.

Last Word on Composting Onions

Finally, composting onions does not affect the microbes present in your compost, perhaps just your olfactory senses. Conversely, onions are NOT recommended for addition to vermicomposting bins. Worms are not big fans of odorous food scraps and will turn their metaphorical noses up at onions as well as broccoli, potatoes, and garlic. The high acidity of composted onion waste does not sit well with worm gastric systems apparently.

I think by now the composting word has gotten out. The benefits far outweigh simple waste reduction. Compost increases the water retention and drainage of the soil. It helps keep weeds down and adds nutrients to the garden. 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 let's get started.

Kitchen Composting Info

It may seem odd at first to save old food and trimmings on your kitchen counter. Traditionally we called that garbage, but new efforts to educate the public have now trained us in waste reduction and reuse of organic items. Composting kitchen waste can be as simple as burying the food scraps in the dirt or using a 3-stage composting bin or tumbler. The end results are nutrient-rich soil additives that increase porosity and help hold important moisture in the soil. The items that break down the quickest in kitchen composting are leafy greens. It helps to cut down the size of items for compost to no more than an inch cubed (16.5 cm. cubed). Smaller pieces compost fastest. The slower items are meats and dairy products, though most sources do not recommend meat for composting. Compost piles must be at the proper temperature and moisture balance to ensure these types of items are broken down. You will also need to cover any composting kitchen scraps so animals don't dig them up.

Methods for Composting Kitchen Scraps

It wouldn't really be stretching the truth to say all you need are a shovel and a patch of dirt for kitchen waste composting. Dig the scraps at least 8 inches (20.5 cm.) down and cover them with dirt so animals aren't tempted to feast on them. Chop up the scraps with a shovel or spade. Smaller pieces have open surfaces for anaerobic bacteria to attack. This makes composting a faster process. Alternately you can invest in a 3-bin system where the first bin is raw compost or fresh kitchen scraps. The second bin will be partially broken down and well turned. The third bin will hold fully composted material, ready for your garden. You can also just make a pile in a sunny location and layer the scraps with leaf litter, grass clippings, and soil. Turn the compost material every week and mist it with water when composting kitchen waste.

How to Compost Food Scraps

Composting requires warm temperatures of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 C.), moderate moisture, and space to turn the pile. You can really make kitchen waste composting as simple or as complex as you want. The end results are finer with multiple bins or a rotating tumbler, whereas piles on the ground or mixing into garden beds yield more robust and chunkier compost. Kitchen composting can also be accomplished in a worm bin where the little guys eat their way through your debris and deposit moist worm castings for fertilizer and soil amendment.

Oak trees will alternate between heavy and light years, but they'll drop acorns on your yard every fall. It's a treat for the squirrels which bury them with abandon, but it can be annoying to any homeowner with a landscaping plan. Acorns sprout easily and quickly, and within a month you'll see dozens of baby trees poking up from the grass, which must be pulled by hand. Getting rid of them is a priority, so you may be wondering if you can compost acorns. Not only do acorns compost, but they add an important ingredient, protein or brown compost layers, to the complete compost mix. The secret to successfully composting acorns is in the way you prepare them ahead of time.

Acorns in the Compost Pile

In order for compost ingredients to completely decay into usable compost, the pile must contain four things: green ingredients, brown ingredients, soil, and water. Green ingredients are those with more moisture, such as grass clippings or kitchen waste. The brown ingredients are drier types like branches, shredded paper, and, of course, acorns. Each ingredient adds different nutrients to the compost. When combined, they make an almost perfect soil conditioner and plant food. For a mix with a lot of green ingredients, a layer of acorns in the compost pile is an important addition, as maintaining a proper balance between browns and greens is vital.

How to Use Acorns as Compost

Using acorns as compost begins with breaking down the shells. The tough outer shell of the acorn takes years to break down naturally, but you can speed the process along. Gather all the acorns from your yard and spread them over the driveway. If you have a small amount, smash them with a hammer to crack them open and expose the meat inside. For larger, more normal acorn harvests, run them over with the car a few times until all the shells are cracked and the insides start to mash. Scrape the resulting mix from the driveway to add to the compost pile. Wait until you have a good layer of green ingredients on top of the pile, then add the mashed acorns on top. Spread them out to make an even layer, and add other dry ingredients, such as fallen leaves and shredded newspaper, to make a layer about 2 inches (5 cm.) deep. Cover this layer with about two inches (5 cm.) of soil and water the pile. Let it work for about a month, then turn the pile with a rake or shovel to allow air into the center of the heap, which will help the pile to heat up and decompose faster.

The key to creating a large and healthy compost is to add a diverse list of ingredients from your yard and home. While dried leaves and grass clippings may be the beginnings of most suburban compost piles, adding a variety of minor ingredients will give your compost trace elements that are good for your future gardens. One of the surprising ingredients you can use is nut shells in compost. Once you learn how to compost nut shells, you'll have a reliable source of carbon-based ingredients to add to your pile year round.

Learn How to Compost Nut Shells

Every successful compost pile includes a mixture of brown and green ingredients, or those that break down into carbon and nitrogen. Composting nut shells will add to the carbon side of the list. You may not have enough nut shells to completely fill out the pile of brown ingredients, but any shells you create in your kitchen will be a welcome addition to the pile. Save your nut shells in a bag until you have at least ½ gallon. Pour the bag of nuts onto the driveway and run over them with the car a few times to break the shells into tiny pieces. Nut shells are extremely hard and breaking them into bits helps to speed the decomposition process. Mix the broken nut shells with dried leaves, small twigs and other brown ingredients until you have a 2-inch (5 cm.) layer. Cover it with a similar layer of green ingredients, then some garden soil and a good watering. Make sure to turn the pile every two weeks to add oxygen, which will help the pile to heat faster.

Hints and Tips for Composting Nut Shells

Can you compost nuts inside their shells? Some nuts are spoiled and can't be used as food, so adding them to the compost pile will get some use out of them. Give them the same driveway treatment as the empty shells to prevent having a grove of nut tree seedlings growing in your compost. What type of nut can be composted? Any nuts, including peanuts (though not technically a nut) can eventually break down and become compost. Black walnut contains a chemical, juglone, which inhibits plant growth in some garden plants, especially tomatoes. Experts say that juglone will break down in a hot compost heap, but keep them out of your pile if you're having problems with growing vegetables. What about peanuts? Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, but we treat them the same. Since peanuts grow underground, nature has provided them with a natural resistance to rot. Break up the shells into bits and keep them in a compost pile over the winter to allow them to break down slowly.

A compost pile gives your garden a constant supply of nutrients and soil conditioner while recycling garden, lawn and household waste. Each pile requires a large variety of materials, which are divided into two types: green and brown. Green materials add nitrogen to the mix, while brown adds carbon. Together, the two combine to decompose and turn into a rich, brown substance. A common question is, “Can you put dryer lint in compost piles?” Let's find out.

Can You Compost Dryer Lint?

In a nutshell, yes you can. Composting lint from dryers is a simple task, as this brown material is easy to save until you have enough to add to the mix.

Is Dryer Lint Beneficial to Compost?

Is dryer lint beneficial to compost? While dryer lint in compost isn't the powerhouse of nutrients as other materials, such as kitchen waste, it still adds some carbon and fiber to the mix. In order for a compost heap to decompose completely, it has to contain an even mix of both brown and green materials, as well as soil and moisture. If your pile is heavy on the green because you unloaded a grass catcher on top, dryer lint can bring that equation back into balance.

How to Compost Dryer Lint

How can you put dryer lint in compost piles? Set a container in your laundry room for saving the lint, such as a milk jug with the top cut off or a plastic grocery bag hung on a hook. Add the handful of lint you find every time you clean the lint trap. Once the container is full, compost dryer lint by spreading the contents over the top of the pile, dropping handfuls evenly. Moisten the lint with a sprinkler and mix it in a bit with a rake or shovel.

Using hay in compost piles has two distinct advantages. First, it gives you plenty of brown materials in the middle of the summer growing season, when most of the freely available ingredients are green. Also, composting with hay bales allows you to construct a completely green compost bin that eventually turns into compost itself. You can find hay for compost on farms that offer spoiled hay at the end of the year, or in garden centers offering autumn decorations. Let's learn more about composting hay.

How to Compost Hay

Learning how to compost hay is a simple matter of building a square with old hay bales. Lay out a number of bales to create a square outline, then add a second layer of bales to build up the walls on the back and sides. Fill the middle of the square with all the materials to compost. The shorter front allows you to reach into the square to shovel and turn the heap weekly and the higher walls help keep in the heat to make the materials rot faster. Once the compost is complete, you'll notice that part of the walls have begun to incorporate themselves into the composting process. Add the composting hay to the other materials by clipping the twine that holds the bales in place. Add the twine to the compost heap or save it to use as organic ties for supporting tomato plants. The additional hay will mix in with the original compost, increasing the size of your compost supply. You should note that some growers use herbicide in their hay fields to keep weeds down. If you are planning to use the compost for landscaping, this won't be a problem, but these herbicides affect some food crops badly. Test your finished compost by grabbing a trowel full in 20 different spots in the heap, both deep inside and near the surface. Mix them all together, then mix this with potting soil in a 2-to-1 ratio. Fill one planter with this mixture and another with pure potting soil. Plant three bean seeds in each pot. Grow the beans until they have two or three true leaves. If the plants look identical, the compost is safe for food crops. If the plants in the compost are stunted or otherwise affected, use this compost for landscaping purposes only.

Abundant and free in most parts of the country, pine needles are a great source of organic matter for the garden. Whether you use pine needles in compost or as a mulch around your plants, they provide essential nutrients and improve the soil's ability to hold moisture. Once you know how to compost pine needles, you don't have to worry about any adverse effects.

Are Pine Needles Bad for Compost?

Many people avoid using pine needles in compost because they think it will make the compost more acidic. Even though pine needles have a pH between 3.2 and 3.8 when they fall from the tree, they have a nearly neutral pH after composting. You can safely add pine needles to compost without fear that the finished product will harm your plants or acidify the soil. Working pine needles into the soil without composting them first may temporarily lower the pH. Another reason why gardeners avoid pine needles in compost is that they break down very slowly. Pine needles have a waxy coating that makes it difficult for the bacteria and fungi to break it down. The low pH of pine needles inhibits the microorganisms in compost and slows down the process even more. Using aged pine needles, or needles that served as mulch for a season, speeds up the process; and chopped pine needles compost faster than fresh ones. Make a mound of pine needles and run over them with a lawn mower several times to chop them. The smaller they are, the faster they will decompose.

Composting Pine Needles

One advantage to composting pine needles is that they don't compact. This keeps the pile open so that air can flow through, and the result is a hotter compost pile that breaks down more quickly. The pine needles break down more slowly than other organic matter in a compost pile, even when the pile is hot, so limit them to 10 percent of the total volume of the pile. A simple and natural way of composting pine needles is to simply leave them where they fall, allowing them to serve as a mulch for the pine tree. They eventually break down, providing the tree with rich, organic nutrients. As more needles fall, they keep the mulch looking fresh.

As many good gardeners know, composting is a free way to turn garbage and garden waste into a substance that feeds plants while it conditions the soil. There are a number of ingredients that can go into compost, but many people ask the question “Can you compost hair?” Keep reading for information on composting hair for the garden.

Can You Compost Hair?

At its heart, compost is nothing more than organic materials that have broken down into their most basic components. When mixed into garden soil, compost adds needed nutrients to the soil. It will help retain water in sandy soil while adding drainage to dense clay soil. The basic formula for creating compost is to layer green or moist ingredients with brown or dry ingredients, then bury them in soil and add water. The chemicals in each type of material join together to break down everything into one brown mass filled with nutrients. Having the right proportions of greens and browns is important. So can you compost hair? Green components include kitchen waste, freshly cut grass, pulled weeds, and yes, even hair. In fact, nearly any organic material that hasn't dried out and is not from the inside of an animal, is fair game for the green components. These add nitrogen to the compost and ultimately into the soil. Brown compost ingredients include dried leaves, twigs, and shredded newspaper. When they break down, brown ingredients add carbon to the mix.

Types of Hair for Composting

Don't just use the hair from your family hairbrushes for the compost heap. Check with any local hairdressers in the area. Many of them are used to handing out bags of hair to gardeners for animal repellent, as well as composting materials. All hair works the same way, so if you have a dog groomer in the neighborhood, offer to take the dog clippings off her hands for some extra added nitrogen in your compost heap. Cat hair can be used as well.

How to Compost Hair

Adding hair to compost is as simple as sprinkling it in among the other green ingredients when you add that layer. The hair will break down easier if you spread it out instead of dropping it in large clumps. In order to speed up the decomposition process, it may help to place a tarp over top of the compost pile. This will help retain both heat and moisture necessary for these materials to break down. Be sure to turn the compost a few times a week to mix everything together and keep it aerated. It normally takes about a month for composting hair to break down enough before adding it to your garden soil.

Americans add over 7.5 billion pounds of disposable diapers into landfills each year. In Europe, where more recycling usually happens, almost 15 percent of all garbage discarded is diapers. The percentage of trash made of diapers grows each year and there is no end in sight. What is the answer? One solution might be to compost the parts of a diaper that will break down over time. Composting diapers isn't a complete answer to the problem, but it can help lower the amount of trash in landfills. Keep reading for more diaper composting info.

Can You Compost Diapers?

The first question most people have is, “Can you compost diapers for use in the garden?” The answer would be yes, and no. The inside of disposable diapers is made of a combination of fibers which will, in normal conditions, break down into effective, usable compost for a garden. The problem is not with the diapers themselves, but rather with the contents deposited on them. Human waste (as with dogs and cats) is filled with bacteria and other pathogens that spread disease and the average compost pile doesn't get hot enough to kill these organisms. Compost made with diapers is safe to use for flowers, trees, and bushes if they're kept away from other plants, but never in a food garden.

How to Compost a Diaper

If you have a compost pile and landscaping plants, you'll reduce the amount of trash you produce by composting your disposable diapers. Only compost the wet diapers, those with solid waste should still go in the trash as usual. Wait until you have two or three days worth of wet diapers to compost. Wear gloves and hold a diaper over your compost pile. Tear down the side from the front toward the back. The side will open up and the fluffy interior will fall onto the pile. Discard the plastic leftovers and shovel the compost pile to mix it. The fibers should break down within a month or so and be ready to feed your flowering plants, trees, and bushes.

What Are Compostable Diapers?

If you search for diaper composting info online you'll find a variety of companies that offer composting services. They all offer their own version of a compostable diaper. Each company's diapers are filled with a different combination of fibers and they are all uniquely set up to compost their own fibers, but any regular or overnight disposable diaper can be composted like we've described here. It's just a matter of whether you want to do it yourself or have someone do it for you.

Are Tea Bags Good For Plants? How To Use Tea Bags For Plants

Are your used tea bags and plants a good combination? If you’re a tea lover, you might wonder what else you can do with your tea bags after using them other than tossing them in the garbage. Some people add them to their compost pile but what about using tea bags for gardening? Can you use tea bags for plant food? Are there other benefits to using tea bags for plants? Read on to learn about tea bags and plants.

Are Tea Bags Good for Plants?

Tea leaves are a natural plant product and thus break down in the compost or soil just as other kitchen scraps, but are they good for plants?

Tea leaves are rich in tannin, which are chemical compounds commonly also found in some plants. In plants, tannins help to protect from infections from fungi or bacteria. So, as the tea leaves break down, the tannins are taken up by nearby plants, inoculating them from disease.

Tannic acid also doubles as a fertilizer, increasing the uptake of nitrogen by the plant.

As to whether the bag itself is good for plants, it depends. Some tea bags are made from natural fibers while others are made from plastic polypropylene and other synthetics. How can you tell the difference? Synthetic tea bags will feel slippery. If you have synthetic tea bags, remove the tea leaves from the bag and discard the bag. The tea leaves can then be used in the garden.

How to Use Tea Bags for Plants

There are several ways to use tea bags for plants. They can be composted or used directly in the garden as a fertilizer.

Using Tea Bags as Fertilizer

You can dig compostable tea bags or tea leaves around plants. The tannin in the tea increases nitrogen levels. Not all plants will appreciate tea bags used as fertilizer. Tea bags will not only increase the uptake of nitrogen but alter the pH of the surrounding soil making it more acidic.

Composting Tea Leaves and Tea Bags

Adding moist tea bags to your compost bin increases the speed with which the pile decomposes. Remember, however, that not all tea bags are made of natural fibers. Only com

Other Ways to Use Tea Bags in the Garden

Boil the old tea bags in water, allow the mixture to cool, and then use it as a weak fertilizer on acid-loving plants such as azaleas, ferns, and hydrangeas.

Some gardeners use old tea bags to repair unsightly bare spots in their turf. Simply soak a tea bag, place it over the bare spot, and sow with grass seed. The wet tea bag provides moisture to germinate the seed and then breaks down to nourish the soil beneath.

Dry tea bags (or just the leaves) can be blended with chelated iron for plants. When the two ingredients are blended, add water and allow to sit until they have dissolved. The resulting “tea” can be used in potted plants or anywhere in the garden that needs a boost.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which Plants Like Tea?

Acid-loving plants like hydrangeas, ferns, rhododendrons, blueberries, and camellias like the acidic component of tea.

Can I Use Tea Bags to Water My Plants?

You can use tea bags to water plants. Allow the bags to steep in hot water, cool the liqui,d and then use as a weak liquid fertilizer. Tea can change the pH of soil making it more acidic and while this brew is usually quite weak, to be on the safe side, only use it on acid-loving plants.

Liquid fish fertilizer is a boon to the home garden, but can you compost fish scraps and waste to create your own nutrient rich fish compost? The answer is a resounding “Yes, indeed!” The process of composting fish is really no different than bread or beer making, relying on much the same microorganisms to turn simple ingredients into a spectacular end result. Let's learn more about how to compost fish scraps.

About Fish Compost

If you, a family member, or a close friend is an avid angler, then you know that often the general practice is to dump the fish innards or other fish waste back into the aquatic sphere it came from. The problem with this method of disposal, more specifically in commercial fishing, is that all that waste can damage the ecosystem, disrupting the delicate balance and wreaking havoc with the watery flora and fauna. Today, more and more commercial processors, both small and large, are turning fish waste into cash by selling off to cat food producers or often converting it to liquid fish fertilizer via a hydrolysis process. Even small sport fishing operations offer the option to their customers of composting the waste from their fishing trip and then allowing the customer to return in a year to take the resultant fish compost home to amend the garden. The home gardener can also use a bin for composting fish into lush soil additive and keeping this “waste” product from either affecting the aquatic ecosystem or clogging up our landfills. It is advisable to use a closed compost bin for this as fish waste may attract unwanted pests. Also, in areas with dangerous pests such as bears, you may want to avoid composting fish all together as the danger will outweigh the benefits.

How to Compost Fish Scraps

When composting such waste as fish parts, the fish waste is mixed with plant waste like wood chips, leaves, bark, branches, peat, or even sawdust. As microorganisms break the fish down, they generate lots of heat, which serves to pasteurize the resulting fish compost, in turn eliminating any odor and killing disease organisms and weed seeds. After several months, the resultant product is rich humus lauded as a nutrient wealthy fertilizer for soil amendment. Composting fish has long been used by Native Americans when planting fish with corn seeds to encourage maximum yields. As such, composting fish does not need to be a complex operation. The basic requirements for composting fish are a source of carbon (wood chips, bark, sawdust, etc.) and nitrogen, which is where the fish scraps come in to play. A simple recipe is three parts carbon to one part nitrogen. Other integral factors for composting fish are water and air, about 60 percent water to 20 percent oxygen, so aeration is necessary. A pH of 6 to 8.5 is needed and a temperature of 130 to 150 degrees F. (54-65 C.) during the decomposition process; at least 130 degrees F. (54 C.) for three successive days to kill any pathogens. The size of your compost pile will vary in accordance to available space, however, a minimum recommendation for productive decomposition is 10 cubic feet, or 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet, (0.283 cubic m.). A slight odor may accompany the decomposition process, but generally occurs toward the bottom of the pile where it is less likely to offend your delicate nostrils. The compost pile will cool to the ambient temperature after several weeks and when this occurs, the compost is ready to engender tomatoes the size of basketballs! Okay, let's not get crazy here, but certainly the resulting fish compost will aid in maintaining healthy plants and flowers in your landscape.

There has always been much discussion among gardeners and horticultural professionals as to the question, “Is it ok to compost tomatoes?” or, more specifically, spent tomato plants. Let's take a look at a few arguments against composting tomato plants and a discussion on the best way to compost your tomato plants should you choose to do so.

Is It Ok to Compost Tomatoes?

Once the gardening season has ended, there can be a great number of old tomato plants left lingering. Many gardeners feel that it's essential to return the plants to the soil through composting. Others deem it far too risky when it comes to a possible spread of disease. Here are some reasons why many gardeners choose not to place tomato plants in compost:

• Composting may not kill all seeds - The composting process may not kill all of the remaining tomato seeds on the plant. This could create tomato plants popping up in random places throughout your garden.
• Composting spreads disease - Composting tomato plants can spread disease that could cause damage in the next year's garden. Many diseases, such as fusarium wilt and bacterial canker, can survive the composting process, making them unwelcome visitors later on.
• Incomplete breakdown - Putting large tomato plants in compost piles can also create a problem, especially if the pile is not properly managed. Vines may not break down properly, creating an eyesore and a mess in the spring when it comes time to use the compost.

When to Compost Tomatoes

Now that you have some of the reasons not to compost your tomato plants, you may be wondering about appropriate times when to compost tomatoes, if there are any. The answer here is, yes. Gardeners can compost tomato plants as long as the plants don't have any bacterial or fungal diseases. Spotted wilt virus and curly top virus will not survive on a dead tomato plant for long, so plants with these viruses can be composted. It's also best to break the dead plant material into smaller pieces before placing it in the compost pile. Proper compost pile management is essential to breaking down spent tomato plants.

Composting Tomato Plants

In order for a compost pile to do its job, it needs to be properly layered, kept moist, and have a constant internal temperature of at least 135 degrees F. (57 C.). The base layer of any compost pile should be organic material such as garden wastes, clippings, small twigs, etc. The second layer should be animal manure, fertilizers, or starters, which will get the internal temperature up. The top layer should be a layer of soil that will introduce beneficial microorganisms to the pile. Turn the pile when the temperature falls below 110 degrees F. (43 C.). Turning adds air and mixes material, which helps with the breakdown.

We all know that composting is not only a valuable eco-friendly tool, with the end result being a nutrient-rich soil additive for the home gardener, but it also reduces the monthly household garbage bill significantly. What many may not know, however, is what part of that garbage should or should not be added to the compost heap—namely using meat in compost. So keep reading the following meat composting info to find out more about this.

Can You Compost Meat Scraps?

A win/win scenario for a small amount of effort, composting is the natural decay of organic refuse within controlled conditions that enable tiny organisms (bacteria, fungi, and protozoa) to convert the refuse into rich, gorgeous soil. The question is what qualifies as organic matter suitable for the compost pile. Generally, folks think about grass clippings and fruit or vegetable trimmings, but how about meat? Meat is organic material, right? So then, one might ask, “Can you compost meat scraps?”

Meat Composting Info

If we consider that meat in compost is an organic material, then the easy answer is “yes, you can compost meat scraps.” However, the question is a bit more complicated than that. Some areas, for good reason, prohibit composting meat because of the very real possibility of pests such as rats, raccoons, and the neighbor's dog, infiltrating the compost pile and not only creating a mess, but possibly spreading disease. Not only can composting meat encourage pests, but it can also harbor pathogens, especially if your compost pile is not hot enough to kill them off. E coli bacteria, for example, can live for two years. Hopefully, however, there is no sign of this bacterium in the meat scraps you are trying to compost! Nonetheless, there is potential there for serious illness, or worse, if the resulting compost contaminates the table food one is growing. Notwithstanding the potential for vermin, meat in compost piles also tends to smell a bit rank, especially if it is not mixed in and the pile is not “cooking” at a high enough temperature, although cooked meat will break down faster than raw and so tends to be a bit less offensive. This said, meat in compost is high in nitrogen and, as such, tends to facilitate the breaking down of the pile. So, if you decide to compost meat scraps, make sure the compost is turned frequently and keep composting meat within the interior of the pile. Also, the amount of composting meat should only be a very small percentage of the entire make-up of the compost.

Composting Meat Commercially

So far everything discussed has been in relation to the home gardener's compost pile and whether to compost meat scraps. There are compost facilities whose job it is to dispose of animal carcasses and blood. These facilities are specifically engineered for the task and the resulting organic material is safe to use on commercial crops such as hay, corn, winter wheat, tree farms, and forests—but is not available to the home gardener. In summary, the use of meat in composting is really up to you with regards to the information above. If you decide to compost meat scraps, remember, not too much and make sure it is a very hot, continually monitored and turned compost pile.