The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #154460   Message #3624479
Posted By: Stilly River Sage
06-May-14 - 11:30 PM
Thread Name: BS: Don't Eat Vegetables !
Subject: RE: BS: Don't Eat Vegetables !
PDQ, that list is just plain wrong. It's old fashioned "old wives tale" thinking. The only exception is personal waste - it has never been considered compostable material, it's odd to see that on your list. Things that go into the sewer or packaged as biohazards aren't destined for the compost.

If you have a good compost pile going and it is turned over and watered enough it is hot enough to break down all of those items fairly quickly. I regularly put food and dog droppings in the pile. No point in pouring milk on it, that's better in water on the garden itself. The main thing about too much food in the compost or garden is that it will attract mice or rats. I use dog hair scattered around in the garden to repel that kind of pest.

Tough weeds (except for poison ivy) can go in the compost. I am careful to not put toxic things in the compost - I don't want seeds from the Jimson seed sprouting in the back yard because the dogs graze, and that makes them sick if they get into the seedlings. Poison ivy goes in plastic bags and goes to the dump, because if I accidentally come into contact with the vine later, before it breaks down, I break out.

SRS