Bread, dairy and meat products will attract rodents. Unless we own a composter than is capable of composting dairy products and meat into soil, we want to avoid placing them into the compost bin. These products will rot without any problems; it is the fact that they attract some undesirable visitors to the compost pile such as rodents, flies, bears and other critters.
Clippings from plants that have been invasive in our neighborhoods could survive in the compost and cause a population eruption. If this plant is like so many invasive plants it just might reproduce, so any pieces that are left in the compost could sprout again. Composting clippings from plants that are diseased could possibly spread the disease. If that plant is dead it should be good to compost. Morning glory, sheep sorrel, ivy, many types of grasses, can re-sprout from the stems or roots in the
compost bins. We do not want to compost these weeds unless they are completely dried out or dead. We need to remember one thing if we are going to compost weeds, if they have gone to seed they will produce new weeds in next year's garden unless the temperature in the compost pile is hot enough to be able to kill the seeds.
Be a little leery of composting toxic materials. Whatever goes into the compost will come out as soil. So, we need to be wary of any toxins when the soil is going to be used in vegetable or fruit gardens. Such materials as treated wood and plants that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides are items we should avoid for
composting.
Worms may not like egg shells, citrus, and onions. Egg shells can be very troublesome for worms to compost, but if they are crushed first it might be easier for them. Citrus contains oils worms may not like, but the citrus will break down eventually in the compost. Worms sometimes will not eat the onions. Onions just might sprout in the compost and become new plants, now we can recycle them in the garden.
If we are thinking about composting sawdust we need to sure of its origin. Sawdust that comes from chemically-treated wood can be bad for composting. Pressure-treated wood will have a greenish tint to it and it contains arsenic as well as copper and chromium. If your compost bin or any
raised beds in the garden are made from these woods it is possible that arsenic will get leached into the soil. We also want to avoid any wood products that are treated with creosote.
Composting does not need to be a stressful chore. It is quite possible to compost a vast number of items. However, we need to remember that some of the items we compost will invite unwanted critters to the garden and compost pile. If we stay aware of the needs of our soil, the worms, and microbes in our gardens, we should be able to avoid a number of the concerns of those who are new to
composting and we can create incredible soil for our flower garden or vegetable garden.
