QUESTION: Are crabapples good for compost? We have a ton of them dropping all around our yard and I’m trying to figure out what to do with them all. – Joseph L
ANSWER: Crabapples can be added into compost as long as they are paired with plenty of brown, or carbon rich, material. Crabapples are a fruit, and are considered a green, nitrogen rich. Chop them into halves, quarters, or even squish them to help them break down quicker into your compost mix.
If you put too much fruit in a composter without enough brown materials to balance things out, you’ll end up with a very stinky, wet mess. You can also attract flies and vermin.
One way to get rid of a lot of nitrogen rich material is to use the trench composting method where you simply bury it. It takes longer to break down, but it won’t attract pests.