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QUESTION: Can you use too much compost?

 ANSWER: It is possible to use more compost than is healthy for your plants, just like it is with fertilizer. Using too much compost can result in having more nutrients in the soil than is healthy for your plants, which can have negative effects for them. Limit compost to a layer of one or two inches that’s worked down into the loosened soil beneath when you’re setting up a new garden bed in a space that hasn’t been used before.

You can spread a layer of compost between half an inch and one inch thick over the top of existing garden beds, and it won’t be necessary to work the compost into the soil in this case. Lawns benefit from compost in amounts up to a quarter inch spread across the top each year.

QUESTION: Can you turn compost too much?

ANSWER: Yes, it’s possible to get too hands-on with your compost pile and mix things up too frequently. Compost should be turned every couple of weeks, so if you’re turning it weekly or every few days, that’s too often. The compost needs time to sit so that it can work on breaking down the materials in the heap.

Can you compost tomatoes?

Tomatoes, along with other fruits and vegetables, are safe for composting, whether they’re raw, cooked, or even spoiled and moldy. Tomatoes will count as a nitrogen-rich “green” ingredient, as will other fruit and vegetables you include in the compost heap.

Can you put apple cores in compost?

Apple cores can be composted, along with trimmings and scraps from all kinds of fruit and vegetables. They count as a nitrogen-rich “green” ingredient. Just chop the apple cores into smaller chunks so they’ll break down more quickly and easily.

Can you put coffee filters in compost?

Coffee filters make a good ingredient for composting. Just shred them into strips or chunks before adding them to the compost heap. You don’t need to worry about cleaning the coffee grounds off of the filters before you compost them. Do not throw plastic k-cups into the composter, but you can empty the contents of the cup into the bin.

Can you put rotten fruit in the compost?

Yes, fruit can be included in composting whether it’s raw, cooked, or spoiled and rotten. Fruit of all kinds counts as a nitrogen-rich “green” ingredient in composting.

Can you put weeds in compost?

Weeds from any invasive plant should not be included in your compost. They can take root in the compost pile and start growing there or spill seeds that will later come to rest in your garden. Also leave any plant debris or material from plants that show signs of disease out of the compost pile.

QUESTION: Can you compost toilet paper rolls?

ANSWER: Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls are safe for composting and function as a carbon-heavy “brown” ingredient. You may wish to tear toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, and other cardboard that you include in your compost into small pieces so that it breaks down more quickly and easily.

QUESTION: Can you compost cooked pasta?

ANSWER: You’ve likely seen cooked pasta listed as an item that should not be included in composting on some lists, while other articles say it’s fine to compost. The concern with cooked pasta is that it can attract pests to your compost pile, so if you’ve been struggling with unwanted visitors, this might be an ingredient you want to skip.

Otherwise, it’s fine to compost cooked pasta in moderation, although you should bury it well in the compost pile so it doesn’t attract rodents or other unwelcome guests.