Is there any kind of food scrap that shouldn't be composted?

[AZ Athena]

I've heard meat is a big no-no, but is there anything else that shouldn't go in?

 

[Chuck]

I've heard meat is a big no-no, but is there anything else that shouldn't go in?

Anything that was fried with oil or salads with dressings. In fact any meats cooked or not except maybe fish and I wouldn't do fish. If you do you are asking for nothing but trouble

 

[Gardener]

Yes Az Athena, meat is a huge nono! It could attract other critters and pests that are unwanted. Also, dairy is another non compostable product source. It isn't non compostable, but composting it will make your compost smell really bad and it will also attract rodents, as does meat. I have tried composting cheese, so take this advice from someone who has experience!

 

[claudine]

How about citrus peels? I read somewhere that it's better not to compost them, because they lower the activity of microorganisms in the soil. My friend, who knows a lot about gardening, says that it's not true though. It's confusing
Do you add citrus peels to your compost?

 

[Chuck]

How about citrus peels? I read somewhere that it's better not to compost them, because they lower the activity of microorganisms in the soil. My friend, who knows a lot about gardening, says that it's not true though. It's confusing
Do you add citrus peels to your compost?

Citrus peels are fine in a compost pile. Perhaps if your pile was 90%+ citrus peels it might have some effect but citrus peels compost fairly quickly. And if they compost quickly there are plenty of microorganisims in there making it happen.

 

[claudine]

Thank you for the explanation. I'll start adding citrus peels to my compost. I have a lot of them, because lately, I've become an orange juice addict. When it's fresh, it's heavenly yummy

 

[Chuck]

Thank you for the explanation. I'll start adding citrus peels to my compost. I have a lot of them, because lately, I've become an orange juice addict. When it's fresh, it's heavenly yummy

Have you ever tried orange zest instead of lemon when it calls for zest in a recipie? Or on salads?

 

[AZ Athena]

Anything that was fried with oil or salads with dressings. In fact any meats cooked or not except maybe fish and I wouldn't do fish. If you do you are asking for nothing but trouble

I wasn't aware oils and dressings were a no-no. Thanks!

 

[AZ Athena]

Yes Az Athena, meat is a huge nono! It could attract other critters and pests that are unwanted. Also, dairy is another non compostable product source. It isn't non compostable, but composting it will make your compost smell really bad and it will also attract rodents, as does meat. I have tried composting cheese, so take this advice from someone who has experience!

I forgot about dairy. I think I have read that before too. Thanks!

 

[Annabell]

As others have said, meat and dairy is a big nono. Really the things you need to avoid are fairly easy to spot. It's the difference between something going 'off' and something rotting, if you see what I mean?

 

[Rosyrain]

I must have been mis informed somewhere because I heard that it was ok to compost fish. I would never do this though as fish smells awful when it starts to rot!

 

[gypsyangel]

Wow, that is quite some information! I have just started composting. I can remember an Asian neighbor of mine digging in her flowers and putting egg shells in. I don't know how well they break down, but I just got done using cabbage, lettuce, celery, onions, peppers, and those egg shells too.

 

[Amy Atz]

How about citrus peels? I read somewhere that it's better not to compost them, because they lower the activity of microorganisms in the soil. My friend, who knows a lot about gardening, says that it's not true though. It's confusing
Do you add citrus peels to your compost?

I was told to avoid citrus peels because we add worms to our compost bin. My uncle who has a worm farm told me that the oils in the peels can kill the worms. I learned a trick where you can add lemon peels and ice cubes to your garbage disposal to clean it and I have been doing that with them ever since. It makes your whole kitchen smell awesome at the same time.

 

[Chuck]

I was told to avoid citrus peels because we add worms to our compost bin. My uncle who has a worm farm told me that the oils in the peels can kill the worms. I learned a trick where you can add lemon peels and ice cubes to your garbage disposal to clean it and I have been doing that with them ever since. It makes your whole kitchen smell awesome at the same time.

I suppose if you had a lot of citrus peels in your compost pile that it might and I say might possibly be detrimental to worms. De lamanine or the extruded oil from citrus peels is a know pesticide. Citrus peels by themselves are also slightly acidic and worms prefer an alkaline environment. Having said this, IMO a few citrus peels which decompose rapidly, will have no effect on worms. I say this because my compost pile has quite a few orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit peelings in it and I add more each week. And I have a ton of worms in my pile.

 

[marlingardener]

Egg shells are fine--I rinse mine and then roughly crush them, just to make them break down faster. I add lemon peels to our compost, just a few since that's all we use.
Critters go for what they like to eat, and most critters that will dig in your compost pile are meat-eaters. We have composted for years with no-meat, no-dairy, no-oil, and have never had a problem, except for neighbors who beg a bucket of compost from us!