| Algae, seaweed and lake
moss |
Yes |
N |
Good nutrient source. Wash
salt off. |
| Ashes from coal or
charcoal |
No |
n/a |
May contain materials bad
for plants. |
| Ashes from untreated,
unpainted wood |
Careful |
Neutral |
Limit amounts. Can make
the pile too alkaline and suppress composting. |
| Beverages, kitchen rinse
water |
Yes |
Neutral |
Good to moisten the middle
of the pile. Don't over-moisten the pile. |
| Bird droppings |
Careful |
N |
May contain weed seeds or
disease organisms. |
| Cardboard |
Yes |
C |
Shred into small pieces if
you use it. Wetting it makes it easier to tear. If you have a lot,
consider recycling instead. |
| Cat droppings or cat
litter |
No |
n/a |
May contain disease
organisms. Don't use. |
| Coffee ground and filters
|
Yes |
N |
Worms love coffee grounds
and coffee filters. |
| Compost activator |
Not required, but ok. |
Neutral |
You don't really need it,
but it doesn't hurt. |
| Cornstalks, corn cobs |
Yes |
C |
Best if shredded and mixed
well with nitrogen rich materials. |
| Diseased plants |
Careful |
N |
If your pile doesn't get
hot enough, it might not kill the organisms, so be careful. Let it cure
several months, and don't use resulting compost near the type of plant
that was diseased. |
| Dog droppings |
No |
n/a |
May contain disease
organisms. Don't use. |
| Eggshells |
Yes |
O |
Break down slowly.
Crushing shells helps. |
| Fish scraps |
No |
n/a |
Can attract rodents and
cause a stinky pile. |
| Hair |
Yes |
N |
Scatter so it isn't in
clumps. |
| Lime |
No |
n/a |
Can kill composting
action. Avoid. |
| Manure (horse, cow, pig,
sheep, goat, chicken, rabbit) |
Yes |
N |
Great source of nitrogen.
Mix with carbon rich materials so it breaks down better. |
| Meat, fat, grease, oils,
bones |
No |
n/a |
Don't use. |
| Milk, cheese, yogurt |
Careful |
Neutral |
OK but put it deep in the
pile to avoid attracting animals. |
| Newspaper |
Yes |
C |
Shred it so it breaks down
easier. It is easy to add too much newspaper, so recycle instead if you
have a lot. Don't add slick colored pages. |
| Oak leaves |
Yes |
C |
Shredding leaves helps
them break down faster. They decompose slowly. Acidic. |
| Sawdust and wood shavings
(untreated wood) |
Yes |
C |
You'll need a lot of
nitrogen materials to make up for the high carbon content. Don't use too
much, and don't use treated woods. |
| Pine needles and cones |
Yes |
C |
Don't overload the pile.
Also acidic and decomposes slowly. Chop. |
| Weeds |
Careful |
N |
Dry them out, then add
later. |
| Sod |
Careful |
N |
Make sure the pile is hot
enough, so grass doesn't continue growing. Chop up. |
