Poisonous plants and compost

[robby]

I'm not actually sure, if is it safe to put poisonous plants and flowers into the compost.
Basically, if I throw some poisonous plants or flowers to the compost, will the poisons decompose over time or will they remain there after the plants have turned into compost? Is the compost safe for later use?

 

[ChanellG]

This is a very important question; so far I am not finding any evidence that it is not a good idea to add poisonous plants to the compost bin. Technically oak leaves are poisonous, but they get composted or used as mulch all the time.

Some people on other forums said they avoid stuff like poison ivy, but only because they don't want to handle it and risk getting it on their skin. So, nothing that says not to compost, but I did find what I thought was a useful guide to poisonous plants: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...ces/common-poisonous-plants-and-plant-parts/#

 

[fuumarumota]

Wow, excellent question. I must sayyI hadn't thought of this but it would be real good to know if we can add these kinds of plants to our composting material list. Also thanks to @ChanellG for the useful link to the poisonous plants info.

 

[Corzhens]

I'm not sure either but I think the poisonous plants wouldn't harm the compost. We have a pointsettia plant which gives red flowers that are good for Christmas decorations. It was confirmed that the white sap of the pointsettia is dangerous to the eyes and can make you blind. Aside from that, the sap is also poisonous. But we toss that trimmings of that plant in the compost bin and we don't notice anything unusual with the compost.

 

[remnant]

I don't think poisonous plants harm compost. Its formation is an exothermic process involving generation of heat energy. Therefore it is a process of biochemical degradation and the poisonous compounds, usually alkaloids are broken into simpler harmless forms.

 

[Daren]

Walnuts lol I Know they are not poisonous to us but they contain ,Juglone a natural aromatic compound which is toxic to some plants.

Another I'd leave out would be Japanese not-weed You can eat it but burn the wast as it spreads like know other plant I know & can even damage foundations of houses here in England & you can be find £1000s for dumping it in the local tip