When I was fresh out of college, I worked as a guide at a wilderness retreat center. We hosted weekend retreat groups, encouraged participants to compost food waste in our big compost bins, and …
Can I Compost Seeds?
Although seeds are essentially compostable, most composters and gardeners shy away from them due to concerns about seedling growth and spread. You can minimize this issue by correctly preparing your …
Unusual Exotic Plants
โDid you know thereโs a shrub in India that blooms once every 12 years?โ (My friend was sharing more gardening trivia.) โI read about it somewhere,โ I replied. โWhatโs it called?โ โThe …
Can I Compost Pine Needles?
Pine needles are generally compostable, but they may not work for some composters because they are slow to break down โ even in optimal pile conditions. Also, there is a common misconception that …
Can I Compost Flowers?
Some flowers are compostable, but others should be disposed of elsewhere to prevent a possible spread of disease, toxins, pests, and poisons in the compost pile. When composting, use healthy flowers …
Can I Compost Garlic?
Garlic scraps are fine to compost as they provide calcium, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Inclusion of garlic should be in moderation, however. Large quantities of certain garlic compounds can …
Can I Compost Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are fine to compost. They affect the composting process dramatically. Nitrogen can come from fresh tomato fruit and plant parts, and when dried to crisp, old tomato plants provide carbon to …
Can I Compost Watermelon Rinds?
Watermelon rinds are generally compostable materials. Inclusion of these fruit scraps will improve microbial development in the pile due to the rindsโ nitrogen content. Be aware, however, that …
Can I Compost Cardboard?
Some types of cardboard are ideal for composting, while others are better suited for recycling or upcycling. Generally, clean and unbleached cardboards are fine to compost. They provide the pile with …
Can I Compost Cheese?
Cheese is tricky to compost due to composting risks associated with dairy: pest problems, slow decomposition, and unpleasant odors. Similar to other animal products, cheese scraps have fats and oils, …
Can I Compost Citrus?
Citrus scraps are fine to compost, but be aware that their inclusion can affect the pileโs pH levels. The fruit and peels are packed with nitrogen that can boost microbial development, increasing your …
Can I Compost Avocado?
Avocado flesh, peels, and pits are fine to compost as they can provide carbon and nitrogen. By composting these kitchen scraps, you will not only nourish your garden with essential minerals like …
Can I Compost Rhubarb Leaves?
You can compost rhubarb leaves, despite the high levels of oxalic acid they contain. This poisonous plant can cause severe burns to soft tissues, especially the esophagus, and oral cavity. In worst …
Can I Compost Cooked Food?
Cooked food can be composted, but it requires correct techniques, expert knowledge, and close maintenance to successfully process into nutrient-rich soil amendment. First-time composters will …
Can I Compost Flour?
Flour is fine to compost, but it should be added to your compost bin or pile in moderation to avoid clumping and clogging issues. Due to its powdery texture, flour instantly absorbs moisture and …
Can I Compost Mushrooms?
Mushrooms can be composted because they break down more quickly than most organic wastes. Your compost pile and garden will highly benefit from the inclusion of mushroom scraps and their mineral …
Can I Compost Cat Litter?
It's possible to compost some types of cat litter, while others are more suitable for garbage disposal. Plant-based cat litter can supplement your compost pile with carbon and soak up excess moisture, …
Can I Compost Potatoes?
Some potatoes can be composted under the right conditions with proper preparation. They are unconventional compost materials and pose challenges to composters. Caution is necessary to avoid accidental …
Can I Compost Ashes?
Some types of ashes are ideal for composting. They are complex materials that should be carefully assessed before adding to your bin or pile. Sources of your ashes and how they were burned determine …
Can I Compost Peanut Shells?
Peanut shells can be composted under optimal conditions and with proper preparation. Due to their fibrous nature, peanut shells can absorb excess moisture in an overly wet compost pile. Carbon from …
Can I Compost Dryer Lint?
Some dryer lint is good for composting, while other lint shouldnโt go into your bin or pile. Dryer lint from clothes with organic fibers like cotton and wool, has carbon that's useful for microbial …
Ghost Pipe Flower
โReady for a ghostly encounter with a flower? Let's see if we can find one.โ โFind one?โ I asked (always intrigued with her ideas). โA ghost flower.โ She half whispered, eerily. โA what? …
Can I Compost Bones?
Bones are compostable, but careful preparation and optimal conditions are crucial to successfully process them. Aside from nitrogen, leftover bones have calcium and phosphorus that can enrich your …
Can I Compost Egg Cartons?
Egg cartons made with cardboard or paper are fine to compost due to their carbon content. Like other paper-based products, egg cartons contain paper pulp suitable for absorbing excess moisture and …
Can I Compost Corn?
Corn is an ideal compost ingredient because it's able to retain heat and provide air pockets within your compost pile. When applied to your garden, corn compost improves soil structure and water …
Can I Compost Newspaper?
While newspapers are excellent carbon material for composting, you should dispose of glossy newsprints elsewhere. Shredded newspaper mitigates excess moisture in watery piles and helps retain heat in …
Can I Compost Shrimp Shells?
Shrimp shells, including the heads and tails, are fine to compost. Correct preparation and optimal conditions are crucial factors to attain successful compost. Aside from nitrogen, shrimp shells are …
Can I Compost Meat?
Can Meat Be Composted? While meat is technically compostable, most composters and gardeners avoid it due to the fear of attracting pests and producing unpleasant odors. By striving for optimal …
Can I Compost Coffee Filters?
Most coffee filters are compostable, but some types shouldnโt go in your compost pile. Paper-based coffee filters are generally fine to compost. They provide carbon to your compost pile or compost …
Can I Compost Rice?
Rice can be composted, but certain measures should be taken to ensure safe composting activity. Bacterial growth, pesky pests, and pungent odors have been associated with composting rice, making it a …
Can I Compost Wax Paper?
Wax paper is often omitted from composting due to its waxy coating, but there are compostable types available. These types are moisture-resistant papers widely favored for cooking. When shredded and …
Underground Greenhouse: Uses and Benefits
As long as gardeners have existed, they've sought to extend their growing seasons beyond the limits of winter's shutdown. Gardening history is dotted with an arsenal of methods created to rebuff …
Continue Reading about Underground Greenhouse: Uses and Benefits →
Can I Compost Paper Plates?
Some paper plates are compostable, but other types should be excluded from your compost pile. Clean, uncoated paper plates are fine to compost. They are packed with carbon that can serve as an energy …
Can I Compost Parchment Paper?
Some parchment papers are ideal for composting. Clean, chlorine-free parchment paper can supply your compost pile with essential carbon needed for microbial growth. The risk of pests and odors in a …
Can I Compost Paper?
Most papers can be composted, though some paper types should be recycled or upcycled. Types of compostable paper include unbleached and uncoated papers. You can add bleached paper in small quantities, …
Can I Compost Pistachio Shells?
Pistachio shells can be composted as carbon-rich brown materials. Due to their fibrous nature, the shells take a long time to completely break down. Correct preparation and optimal composting …
Can I Compost Pizza Boxes?
Not all pizza boxes are compostable. Clean pizza boxes are safe to compost and provide the pile with ample carbon for microbial activity. If you run out of dried leaves, cardboard shreds make an …
Can I Compost Pineapples?
Pineapples are compostable, but some gardeners avoid pineapple scraps because they are acidic. Small pieces of ripe, old, or moldy pineapples are fine to compost. However, when composting large …
Can I Compost Coffee Grounds?
Coffee grounds are ideal for composting! Coffee lovers can help divert this common kitchen waste from landfills. These grounds are rich in nitrogen that is beneficial for the composting microorganisms …
Can I Compost Weeds?
Weeds are compostable, but most gardeners fear spreading them in the garden when the compost is applied. To ensure a successful compost, take some precautions and maintain optimal conditions …
Can I Compost Glass?
Glass is not compostable because it consists of inorganic materials. Unfortunately, no organism can effectively break down glass into simpler forms. However, it can be broken down into smaller pieces …
An Introduction to the Judas Tree
โImagine a tree that grows flowers right on its trunk!โ My friend looked over my shoulder at the image. โMuch like that tree that grows fruit on its trunk -- what was it called?โ โThe Brazilian …
Can I Compost Grass Clippings?
Grass clippings are suitable for composting! In fact, they can serve as a carbon or nitrogen source for your compost, making them a great addition to your garden. Freshly-cut grass clippings …
Can I Compost Cigarette Butts?
Cigarette butts are not ideal for composting. Even with accelerated methods, home gardeners should avoid cigarette butts in their bins or piles. Used cigarettes also contain toxic elements and …
Can I Compost Dog Poop?
Dog poop can be composted, but due to health risks, it is not recommended to use the resulting compost for edible plants or crops. To ensure safe compost material for your garden, adhere to strict …
Can I Compost Tea Bags?
Not all tea bags are suitable for composting because some are made of polypropylene plastic, which can contaminate your compost with chemicals and microplastics. However, since paper, and abaca tea …
Can I Compost Eggs?
In minimal amounts, eggs can be ideal for composting! However, you may encounter issues like unpleasant odors, pests, and salmonella contamination if you don't prepare the eggs properly or manage the …
Can I Compost Paper Towels?
Well, it depends! Ideally, clean and unused paper towels are compostable. Paper towels exposed to ground soil and water are also fine to compost. While most paper towels are made from fibrous plant …
Can I Compost Bread?
Bread is compostable, but some gardeners avoid it due to concerns of attracting pests. You can minimize this issue by using a secure lid to protect your compost bin from pests and contain unpleasant …
Can I Compost Bananas?
Bananas are ideal for composting! The essential nutrients found in bananas can enrich your garden soil, making it ideal for healthier plants. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium …