Permaculture: What can you put in compost?

Question

What can you put in your home composting bin?

What can't you put in it? Why?

Answer 1

.

if you are in a apartment ,if you have a balcony get a big plastic bin drill some holes in the side and lid ,

and add a bit of sand now and again to put over the trash ,you should really stir or move the stuff at times to aerate it and ensure that the decomposition is overall ,keep moist

there are special compost bins you can get for apartments ,best to keep on the balcony where there is airflow.

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a general note on compost

bones,tree trunks,cardboard,eggshells ,leaves,kitchen waste,food scraps,newspaper,
kitty litter ,any organics banana skins ,nutshells ,saw dust,vegetable cuttings

All can be put on the compost heap

as long as you seal it with a covering of leaves .or put a piece of plastic on top ,
keep it moist and in the shade ,it will then get hot enough to kill all parasites

the worms will develop,and take care of everything ,the moisture helps decomposition

the plastic keeps in the moisture and protects the worms from predators .like chickens ,birds armadillos,and even dogs .i have seen going in to eat my worm culture

you could add a bit of lime now and again
to make the process more potent

HOW
make the compost in a shallow hole ,so that it retains more humidity,
about 2 square meters is good ,and have it under a tree or put a little roof over it,which does not have to be water proof ,so a palm thatch is enough,

and make sure the garden sprinkler gets there or spray some water on it ,at least once a week,don`t have it water logged or the worms will drown or leave

NOTE
food scraps are better if kept apart to feed to a pig or chickens or dogs depending on the food scraps
if one puts these things in the compost these animals ,(if allowed )will go into your compost .

also the rate of decomposition depending on temperature and moisture ,stipulates what can all go in your compost heap .

In Mexico where it is very warm ,with lots of bugs of all descriptions ,we can put a tree trunk in the compost and in 6 months it is gone completely ,there is also a much longer vigorous decomposition ,there is no winter to slow things down.and we continues add huge amounts of green matter such as banana stems
and leaves (each banana plant dies after making bunch)coconut palms (they drop all the time)
and cuttings ,the heap goes up and down ,and in 7 years has never grown ,it is like a hungry all consuming hole that has no limit to its appetite.

the base is one meter into the ground and i have never got round to cleaning it .although it has a lot of compost in it by now

Answer 2

Pretty much any type of plant waste, tree leaves, grass clippings. I would not use animal bones manure, or flesh. Manure from any herbivore is fine. Animal products acidify the mix and halt the breakdown. A good tip is to periodicall add a few bottles of cheap beer, such as when you turn the compost. The yeast or something catalyzes the reactions that break down the material. I hope you water and turn it often. Those things are important.

Answer 3

I have a large compost pile that yeilded about 3 cubic feet of beautiful black soil this spring. I compost just about everything possible while still keeping it look like compost and not a garbage dump.

Compost:
Vegetable food scraps
coffee grounds
peelings
tea bags
egg shells
shredded paper
paper plates
small amounts of cardboard
household sweepings and vacuum contents
tissues used for nose blowing
paper egg cartons
house plant trimmings
pencil shavings
outdated vitamins and minerals
small amounts of raw fish.
small amounts of newspaper
Fish tank water & activated charcoal
pet wastes
wine must(sediments from making homemade wine)
sand

Do Not compost:
Heat sensitive paper like fax paper.
meat
bones
grease
plastic
chemicals
styrofoam
drugs
metal shavings
glass
toxic house plants like poinsettia
cooked fish

Answer 4

anything organic that will break down in time. Dead leaves are awesome. coffee grounds, old fruits, vegetables, bread, even dog poop in moderation. Things like plastic or other manmade stuff will not break down . I put night crawlers in also when I can catch them after a rain. Leaves are such a great insulator that even in January when it may be sub zero out, you can still find worms hard at work. Remember, every drop of earth at one time went through a worms stomach. Worms are the only creature that can even eat radio active or hazardous waste and pass it through as pure clean topsoil.

Answer 5

You should have an equal mixture of dry (brown) ingredients and wet (green) ingredients. Here is a list of dry ingredients you can put in your compost bin:

*Dried Leaves

*Dried Grass

*Straw

*Sawdust

*Tissue Paper

*Shredded Newspaper

*Shredded Paper & Cartons

Here is a list of wet ingredients you can put in your bin:

*Fruit and Vegetable Peelings

*Coffe Grounds and Filters

*Tea Bags

*Egg Shells

*Peanut Shells

*Garden Waste

*Plant Trimmings

*Table Waste

Here is a list of things you should not put in your bin:

*Meat

*Fish

*Dairy Products

*Oil

*Fat

*Pet Waste

*Diseased Plants

*Seeding Weeds

*Bones

http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/composting.html

Answer 6

can you get any small fish? Or use other parts besides crap. Hair, skin, even a little blood should work or do what I do. Use some food or animal food.