Compost Ingredients
WHAT TO COMPOST
| Greens = good sources of nitrogen | |
| Grass clippings | mix well so they do not pack down |
| Coffee grounds | include filter |
| Fruit | |
| Vegetables | all vegetables & peelings |
| Egg shells | adds calcium |
| Manure from herbivores | i.e., horse, cow, rabbit. Do not use if animal is sick |
| Tea bags | |
| Hair | human or animal, may be slow to degrade |
| Grains | |
| Feathers | |
| Blood meal | extremely rich in nitrogen |
| Browns = good sources of carbon | |
| Leaves | improved aeration |
| Straw | a good source of bulky material |
| Sawdust | must be from untreated wood |
| Newspaper | |
| Yard waste | best cut to sizes 2" or less |
| Paperboard | i.e., cereal boxes, paper plates and napkins, break into small pieces |
| Dried grasses | good source of carbon |
| Wood ash | must be from untreated wood |
WHAT TO AVOID & WHY
| Diseased plants | disease can spread if pile does not get hot enough |
| Weeds with seeds | or weeds that can sprout from bits of root. Seeds or bits of root may survive and sprout in garden if compost doesn't get hot enough to kill them. |
| Dog or cat feces | may carry parasites and diseases that infect humans |
|
Toxic chemicals
(pesticides, etc.) |
will harm or kill beneficial soil life |
| Charcoal (briquettes) | will not break down in compost |
| Fats, oils, grease | attracts animals and keep anything they coat from breaking down |
| Meat scraps, bones, cheese | slow to break down, smells bad and attracts animals |
| Treated logs | contains high amount of chemicals |
