Starting a compost is a great way to put those table scraps to use. It also helps with any garden you are growing. If you are getting bored at home and a new project is enticing. Composting is a new project that can benefit your garden and environment.
To have the most efficient compost pile, you must know the items you should not put in it.
If you are new to starting your compost, check out this article I shared about creating one here.
Here is a list of items to NOT put into your compost pile.
Meat
Why? The smell will attract predators, and this isn’t an ideal situation if you have any chickens or other livestock. Meat also decomposes slower and honestly the smell isn’t worth it to me. It’s nasty!
Fat
Cooking oil, bones, and fat will also slow down the process. And not to mention it attracts unwanted guests to your compost pile/bin.
Cat Litter
You may be thinking it’s almost like an outdoor trash can, but it’s not. Cat litter can damage the compost structure and cause synthetic toxins to leak into your garden.
This is for cat litter that is clay, sand, or crystalline based.
Citrus Peels & Onions
We don’t want our chickens eating these; they are also not the best for the compost pile. Since our compost pile is out in the open, we avoid these.
The acidity from orange peels can be too much for the worms in the stack. Of course, you could add these in small amounts and cut them into smaller pieces. Both decompose slower.
Ashes from The Grill
It may seem tempting to toss the ashes from your grill, but it is best to avoid it. If you have additive free coals you could add those.
Treated Wood
If you finished up a project and have a bunch of sawdust from treated wood, skip adding it to the compost. You don’t want any of the toxins in your compost bin.
Nonbiodegradable materials
Think anything that can not break down, like plastic, glass, metals.
Also, if you are raising chickens and have a sick one, don’t put their poop in the compost pile. You don’t want anything tainted to go in there.
Check out some of the BEST Things to compost here.
And once you have that nice compost pile ready, you can add it to your gardens.
So, if you want to create a healthy compost pile that will turn your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil amendments, avoid adding these seven items. If you’re unsure what can and cannot be composted in your area, ask an expert at your local garden center or municipality.
With a bit of research and some trial and error, you’ll be on your way to creating the perfect compost pile for your home.
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Do you have a compost pile? Are you going to start one this year?
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