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What You Can Compost and What to Leave Out
Composting is one of the simplest and most effective ways to contribute to environmental protection while improving soil quality in your garden. It is a process that transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, which can be used as fertilizer. Composting is ecological, economical, and aligns with the natural nutrient cycle. But do we really know what we can add to the compost and what we should avoid?
Why Compost?
Before we delve into the details of what can be composted, it's good to remind ourselves why we should do it. Composting offers numerous benefits. Besides reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, it helps create rich and healthy compost that can improve soil quality and contribute to the healthy growth of plants. Additionally, composting supports microbial activity in the soil, leading to a better natural environment for plants and improved water retention in the soil.
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What Belongs in Compost?
Composting is not only an eco-friendly way to process organic waste but also a great way to enrich garden soil with essential nutrients. By carefully selecting the materials you add to your compost, you can obtain rich, nutrient-packed compost that will support the healthy growth of your plants. So what belongs in compost?
The first and most common group of materials that can be composted are fruit and vegetable scraps. Peels, trimmings, banana peels, salad leftovers – all of these are excellent materials for compost. These organic scraps decompose quickly and contribute to the creation of high-quality compost that is rich in nutrients.
Another great material is eggshells. Although they take longer to decompose, they contain a large amount of calcium, which is very beneficial for the soil. Simply crush the eggshells lightly and add them to the compost.
If you enjoy drinking coffee or tea, you have another great source for compost at home – coffee grounds and tea leaves. These residues are rich in nitrogen, one of the key nutrients plants need for growth. Adding these materials to compost increases its nutritional value.
You can also compost bread and cereal leftovers. While you should be careful not to attract pests, a small amount of these materials can enrich the compost. It’s good to mix them with other materials to prevent problems.
If you have access to straw and hay in your garden, definitely make use of them. These materials are great for creating the right compost structure, allowing good air circulation and thus better decomposition of organic matter.
Another important component of compost is grass and leaves. Freshly cut grass is rich in nitrogen, while dry leaves add carbon. This combination is ideal for a balanced composting process. If you have a lot of grass, it’s good to mix it with other materials to prevent the compost from overheating.
You can also add wood chips and sawdust. These materials are rich in carbon, which is essential for maintaining balance in the compost. However, keep in mind that wood decomposes slowly, so add it in moderation.
If you have unused houseplants at home, you can also add them to the compost. Make sure the plants have not been treated with chemicals that could negatively affect the quality of the compost before adding them.
Other materials suitable for composting include paper and cardboard. Recycled paper, uncolored cardboard, and newspapers without a glossy finish are ideal for adding carbon to compost. They also help create the right structure and improve aeration of the compost.
You might be surprised, but even hair and nails are materials you can compost. They are biodegradable and can contribute to enriching the compost with nitrogen. These materials decompose more slowly, so it’s good to add them in smaller amounts.
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What Does Not Belong in Compost?
Although it’s tempting to throw any organic waste into the compost, it’s important to realize that not everything is suitable for composting. Some materials can cause more harm than good, so it’s wise to know what to avoid. The first example is meat, fish, and dairy products. These foods attract unwanted pests and can cause unpleasant odors. They decompose differently than plant materials and can bring hygiene issues.
Another unsuitable material is oil and fats. Fats disrupt the decomposition process, which can lead to odor formation and complicate the entire composting process as they slow down the decomposition of other materials. Similarly, synthetic materials and plastics should not be in the compost. Although some plastics are labeled as biodegradable, most decompose very slowly and are not suitable for home composting.
Diseased plants and weeds with seeds are other materials you should not add to the compost. These plants can spread diseases or weeds to your garden when you use the compost. Chemically treated wood should also be excluded because chemically treated wood can affect the quality of the compost and its safe use.
Lastly, it’s important to mention animal droppings. Although the droppings of herbivores, such as rabbits, can be composted, the droppings of carnivorous animals, such as dogs or cats, are unsuitable due to the risk of transmitting parasites and diseases.
How to Compost Correctly?
Composting is not just about what you add to the compost, but also how you proceed in creating it. For the composting process to be successful, it’s important to follow several key principles. The first is the right ratio of nitrogen to carbon. The ideal ratio of green materials rich in nitrogen, such as grass and vegetables, to brown materials rich in carbon, such as dry leaves and paper, is approximately 2:1. This balanced ratio ensures that the compost does not heat up too much or cool down too much.
Another important principle is maintaining proper moisture. The compost should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Too dry compost slows down the decomposition process, while too wet compost can start to rot. Therefore, it’s important to regularly check the moisture and adjust it as needed.
Ventilation is another key to success. The compost pile needs enough air for the decomposition process to run correctly. If you don’t turn or aerate the compost, it can start to smell. Regular mixing also speeds up decomposition.
The last principle is the correct placement of the compost. Place the compost pile or composter in a location with enough shade and protection from the wind. Direct sunlight can cause drying, while too much shade can slow down decomposition.
Why Is It Important to Know What Belongs in Compost?
You might wonder why it’s so important to carefully select what we add to the compost. The correct choice of materials is key to successful composting. If we add unsuitable materials to the compost, we can cause problems such as odors, the presence of pests, or even the devaluation of the entire compost. Moreover, quality compost improves soil structure and fertility, increases the soil's ability to retain water, and supports healthy plant growth. If compost is contaminated with unsuitable materials, it might happen that instead of benefiting the soil, we damage it.
In conclusion, composting is not only an ecological and economical way to dispose of organic waste but also an effective tool for improving soil quality in your garden. By adhering to the correct principles and selecting suitable materials, you can obtain rich compost that will support healthy plant growth and contribute to the sustainability of your garden ecosystem. Composting is not complicated, but it requires attention to detail and patience. If you follow the recommendations and avoid common mistakes, you will soon be able to enjoy the results in the form of quality, natural fertilizer that will benefit not only your plants but also the environment.
