Author: mastercomposter

QUESTION: Can I put pickles in my compost? My husband says no because of the salt. – Joan R

ANSWER: You’ve probably seen pickles listed as something that should not be composted, and we’ll explain why some people don’t recommend it. But realistically, the amount of pickles that the average person is likely to compost will not pose a problem, so go ahead and include them, unless you’ve got a special case and have gallons of pickles you’re looking to dispose of. 

In short, pickles are much more acidic than most of what goes into the compost bin, and in excess they can disturb the pH balance of your compost and harm the valuable microbes that break things down. Pickles also contain high amounts of sodium, and salt isn’t good for the health of your plants if they absorb it in large amounts. In addition, commercially produced pickles come along with lots of preservatives to make them shelf stable, which means store bought pickles can take a while to decompose in your compost. However, you won’t see this problem with homemade pickles, as they don’t contain the same preservatives as the pickles you’d buy at the store.

Although the come along with drawbacks, pickles also have a lot to offer when it comes to composting. For one thing, the vinegar in pickles is an excellent pet deterrent—a valuable trait for the compost pile. The same goes for the garlic that’s used to flavor many pickles. In addition, the same high level of acidity that has the risk of disturbing your compost heap’s pH level will help to kill any weeds looking to take root in compost that contains pickles. The cucumbers and dill used to make pickles also contain valuable nutrients, which they’ll pass along to your compost and, later when the compost is used, will also be provided to next season’s plants in the garden. These nutrients include copper, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

In short, although pickles come along with some disadvantages that land them on some “do not compost” lists, they also have a lot to offer the compost pile. That’s why as long as they’re used in moderation, we recommend allowing pickles in your compost ingredients. (One minor caveat: If you’ll be using pickled foods in vermicomposting, alternate feeding your worms food that contains pickles with food that does not contain pickles the next day. You can also use lime sprinkled into the worm farm to counteract the acidity the pickles contain, which worms can be sensitive to.)

QUESTION: Can I put dog poo in my compost? I have two medium sized dogs, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with all the pet waste. – Regina W

ANSWER: You should never add dog poop or cat poop to your regular compost bin or compost pile. Pet waste contains parasites that may not be killed in household compost bins, which need a steady temperature of 165 degrees F or higher for at least five days in order to kill off the parasites, which is hard to maintain in home composting setups.

Dog waste can carry a number of unhealthy parasites that can affect humans and other animals, such as roundworms, the eggs of which, if ingested, can hatch inside human intestines. The tiny eggs can also travel through the blood stream, attach themselves to the lungs, liver, or other organs. The eggs can also cause blindness if they attach to the retina. 

There are, however, composting solutions designed specifically for dog poop. These dog poop composters are buried in the ground and work more like a septic tank system. Earthworms and bacteria will typically break down the poop so that the bin does not fill up quickly. In some cases you can continue using it indefinitely.

If you want to try composting it without a special bin, it’s possible, but not at all recommended.

To avoid the complications of composting with dog poop, you have to alter the material before adding it into the compost heap. Use one part sawdust and two parts dog manure. Compost mixtures also require plenty of carbon to assist in breaking down the nitrogen-heavy manure. Cover your compost pile with black plastic to increase the heat and trap it in the pile. Be sure to turn the pile weekly and monitor the temperature with a compost thermometer to make sure that it stays at a suitable level.

In four to six weeks, your compost will be crumbly and ready to mix with other organic compounds. If your compost was prepared at a high enough temperature to kill the parasites, you can add your dog poop compost to your yard soil as an amendment. Even though you think you were able to keep temperatures high enough to kill all the parasites, there is no way to guarantee that the parasites are all dead. Because of this, it is recommended that compost which contains dog poop should only be used around ornamental plants such as shrubs and trees and should never be used around edible plants. For best results, mix it with vegetative compost for the best results.

QUESTION: Can I make compost indoors? I live in an apartment and don’t have a yard. – Elizabeth H

If composting outdoors is not an option, there are several different ways to set up an indoor composting system that will help you cut down on waste that you send to a landfill while supplying you with high-quality compost for your garden.

The easiest way to compost indoors is by using a worm bin that uses earthworms such as red wigglers and redworms to help break down organic materials and turn them into valuable, nutrient-rich compost. For a worm bin, you will need to purchase a pre-made worm bin or make your own out of a plastic storage bin or a wooden crate. You will also need to purchase one to two pounds of worms. Even though worm bins are the easiest way to compost indoors, a lot of people might be opposed to bringing hundreds of worms inside their homes, even if they are contained in a sealed-off bin. 

There are several indoor composting systems that you can choose that don’t require bringing hundreds of worms into your home. Indoor compost bins can be made out of plastic storage bins or five-gallon buckets. This style of composting is called Bokashi composting. The bucket is completely sealed. When you open it up, it will smell bad! But eventually the materials inside will be ready to be used as finished compost.

QUESTION: Can I keep adding to my compost pile? How do you know if it’s ever finished? – Randy F

ANSWER: Yes, using the cold, or passive composting method, also known as the add-as-you-go method, you can continue to add kitchen waste to your compost pile gradually over time. Because you are choosing to add waste here and there over time instead of making a batch of compost all at once, it’s going to take a lot more time for the organic material to decompose.

Cold compost takes longer to mature because the pile is not able to heat up to adequate temperatures due to daily or weekly additions to the mixture. Eventually, the compost will finish and mature in an add-as-you-go compost pile, it will just take a little bit more patience and time to get there. 

When creating an add-as-you-go compost pile, it is important to alternate between adding green and brown materials as best you can in order to balance out the carbon-nitrogen ratio in your pile. Those who use the add-as-you-go composting method are often adding kitchen scraps, or green compost materials to the pile.

So it’s a good idea to keep a bit of brown compost materials on hand nearby so that you don’t forget to add in some carbon-heavy materials to balance out the nitrogen-heavy kitchen trash. Every time you add a layer of food scraps, that layer should be covered by brown materials.

Leaving kitchen scraps uncovered on the top of your compost pile will attract rodents and insects and create a foul odor in your compost bin. Some brown materials that you may want to keep on hand to layer on top of food scraps are leaves, straw, hay, sawdust, and peat moss. Scraps can also be covered by a layer of finished compost. 

If you notice that you are composting too much green material and not enough brown stuff, it is a good idea to allow leaves, grass clippings and weeds to dry out before adding them into your bin or pile. Allowing these materials to dry out changes them from green materials to brown materials. Use a shovel, garden shears, or a machete to cut garden debris into small pieces to speed up the decomposition process. Large pieces of kitchen trash should also be chopped into smaller pieces before adding to the mix so that they will break down faster. 

Two important factors for successful composting include moisture levels and air circulation. Microorganisms that exist in a compost pile are most effective when moisture levels are consistently damp, similar to a wrung-out sponge, and there are plenty of air passages to help promote good air circulation. Decomposing organic matter will use up oxygen much quicker than water, so it is necessary to keep new oxygen flowing into your compost by turning or mixing the ingredients of the pile occasionally to keep circulation high. 

Compost piles should be large in size and volume. Commercial bins are usually somewhat small, but are made to allow air flow and retain heat and moisture, making them perfect for add-as-you-go composting. Turn your compost pile around once per week to help mix up brown and green materials. Each time you turn your compost, add a shovelful or two of finished compost from the bottom of the pile to the top. 

Stockpile valuable ingredients that you can add to your compost mix throughout the process. Compostable items that you can stockpile include fallen leaves, dead-headed flowers, weeds without seeds, and kitchen scraps stored in airtight containers. At some point during the year, you will find yourself short on either brown or green materials, and you will be thankful to have a stockpile to use when situations like this occur. 

Add-as-you-go compost piles will struggle to reach high temperatures that significantly speed up the decomposition process. However, if you have compiled a mixture with a good balance of carbon and nitrogen, provided a large surface area, regularly turn the pile, and keep the mixture slightly moist but never soggy, the temperature of the compost pile will rise high enough to encourage decomposition.

QUESTION: Can I compost paper towels? We have been throwing them away, but it seems like we should be composting them. – Rita M

ANSWER: Paper towels are similar to any other paper product when it comes to composting. If you have clean, unused paper towels, they are perfectly safe for composting, and are a nitrogen-rich brown organic material that is much better off in a composting bin than filling up a landfill. As with most compostable items, shredding, cutting, or tearing your paper towels into small pieces will help accelerate the decomposition process. 

If your paper towels have been used, however, they may be unsuitable for composting, depending on what they were used to clean up. If you used the paper towel in question for cleaning up oil or butter, or anything else that is greasy, keep it out of the compost. Adding oil or grease to a compost heap can force air out, creating an environment that is more susceptible to anaerobic bacteria issues, which not only ruins your compost, but also makes your pile smell bad. 

If you used the paper towel in question along with cleaning products, throw those paper towels away and do not add them to your compost. Paper towels that are soaked in cleaning products are covered in chemicals which could be harmful to the macro and microorganisms that exist within compost on top of soil? Even all natural organic, or green cleaners will kill bacteria, which is the last thing you want to be in your compost bin. 

Paper towels that are not soiled with grease and chemicals are excellent additions to your compost pile and will break down swiftly. That doesn’t mean that they have to be clean. Paper towels that have been used to clean up dirt, water, or plant based foods are perfectly safe to compost. Even paper towels that you blow your nose in are safe for composting, as long as you are not carrying a contagious virus Add paper towels to your compost mix as a brown, or carbon-rich material. Paper towels make a good substitution for leaves in a compost pile whenever dry leaves are in short supply. 

Both single ply and quilted paper towels will break down and decompose rather easily. Paper towels that were used to dry hands or dishes, are perfect for composting. Paper towels are usually bleached to achieve their bright white color, but luckily bleach does not accumulate in the food chain and actually breaks down in the environment very quickly.

If you pick up dog droppings with paper towels, those should be discarded and never composted, as they could contain certain pathogens that could spread disease or hurt the micro and microorganisms which are helping your compost break down. Paper plates, as long as they are not saturated with oil, butter, or grease, are also excellent paper products for composting. The cardstock center of paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls are also carbon-rich paper products that compost well.