Danger in the compost bin and more! | Lamoille Valley Veterinary Services (2024)

FAQs

What can you not put in a compost bin? ›

Composting Don'ts

Don't add fish, meat, dairy products, bones, baked goods, fatty foods or grease to your compost pile. These food scraps do not easily decompose and may attract animals. Don't use diseased plants or plants that are toxic to other plants.

plastic. The answer is D.

Onion peels seem like the ideal thing to put in your compost pile, but you might be surprised to know that these take longer to break down than other types of organic food matter. The naturally occuring chemicals in onion could be harmful to microorganisms in your pile, slowly down the process.

As a rule of thumb, actively decomposing materials should be turned every three to four days. Materials with slowed microbial activity can be turned less often. In tumblers, turning two times a week resulted in higher temperature and faster decomposition than turning once a week or once every other week (Figure 1).

Yes, you definitely can. Bananas are organic matter and so are their peels, so feel free to include these in your compost materials. Your garden and the environment will thank you!

DON'T add meat scraps, bones, grease, whole eggs, or dairy products to the compost pile because they decompose slowly, cause odors, and can attract rodents. DON'T add pet feces or spent cat liter to the compost pile. DON'T add diseased plant material or weeds that have gone to seed.

Put these in the compost bin:

Vegetable and fruit trimmings. Egg shells, bread, pasta, and coffee grounds. Non-shiny food-soiled paper and cardboard like pizza boxes, paper coffee filters, napkins, paper towels, brown paper bags, and paper plates.

Can I place used paper towels, napkins, and tissue in my compost cart? Yes, absolutely. These items can be composted even if they are wet or stained with food, vegetable oil, or grease.

Composting apricots, avocados, mangos, nectarines, peaches,

The soft portion of fruits such as apricots, cherries, mangos, nectarines, and peaches like plums compost quickly if they have not been eaten at the table but the stones (pits) are hard and are most likely to survive the composting process.

Can orange peels go in compost? ›

Oranges are probably one of the most widely consumed citrus fruits and one of the best ones to compost. You can compost the entire fruit, including the peels, which will introduce good amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into your compost.

Add water regularly (at least once per week) Add water slowly and for longer durations (e.g., drip irrigation) Install drip irrigation below the surface of the pile to protect the moisture against the drying effects of the sun. Add water during the cool hours of the day (e.g., in the evening)

“A lot of the microbes in a compost pile are aerobic, meaning they need at least some air, [which] allows them to multiply, to breathe and to break down your compost faster,” says Guiliano. If you don't turn your compost enough, you'll notice it smells like ammonia.

Types of Flowers or Flower Parts NOT to Add to Compost

Look for diseased or infested plant parts as well as those that are poisonous to pets. The diseased and infested plant parts are self-explanatory – you risk spreading the pathogens and pests if you add them to your compost.

DON'T add meat scraps, bones, grease, whole eggs, or dairy products to the compost pile because they decompose slowly, cause odors, and can attract rodents. DON'T add pet feces or spent cat liter to the compost pile. DON'T add diseased plant material or weeds that have gone to seed.

Oranges are probably one of the most widely consumed citrus fruits and one of the best ones to compost. You can compost the entire fruit, including the peels, which will introduce good amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into your compost.

Also throw some soil or old compost in to help introduce microbes. No need to add worms, they will find it on their own. For a backyard compost pile, don't put in things that will attract rodents and other animals. Meat, bones, fish, dairy products and bread should be saved for a municipal compost facility.