Can you put citrus peels in compost

If you do want to compost your dog and cat poop, you must process them separately from your regular compost pile there are special composters just for pet waste , and only use the resulting compost on non-food crops.

Coffee grounds and tea leaves definitely belong in a compost pile. They provide generous amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, which are elements that are essential to plants. However, coffee grounds and tea leaves should only be added to compost if they are bag-less, or have been removed from their bags.

While fruit and vegetables scraps from the kitchen are fundamental ingredients in a home compost pile, there are two iffy exceptions: citrus peel and onions. Unfortunately, the natural chemicals and acidity in citrus peels and onions can kill worms and other microorganisms, which can slow down the decomposition in your pile. Plus, unless you chop them into tiny bits, citrus peels take forever to break down, which will delay how soon you can use your compost.

Personally, I usually put my onion scraps into the freezer to use when I make stock , and use citrus peels to make non-toxic DIY house cleaning sprays instead. Fish and meat are organic and will add nutrients to your garden, but unfortunately their smell will act like a magnet for any rats, mice, foxes, raccoons, or cats in the neighborhood or even coyotes and bears, depending on where you live , who will ransack the compost to eat them.

Many paper products are potential compost fodder, especially soy-ink newspapers, old paper towels and tissues and even shredded cardboard.

They are from trees, after all! See Glossy Paper, above. They are also easy to miss, which means they often end up trashing up your compost piles. As citrus peels break down, they will add phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium to your compost, all three of the most important nutrients that plants need to thrive. However, adding whole citrus peels to your compost is a bad idea because large pieces will take forever to break down.

To help accelerate the decomposition process, break your peels down into tiny pieces that will break down faster and easier than large pieces. Learn more tips on speeding up your composting here. Your email address will not be published. If you do struggle to get the balance in your compost right, the good news is that everything is redeemable. As soon as you get air back in there the smell goes immediately. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

And what about leftover bread, coffee grounds and cardboard? Posted 27 Apr 27 Apr Sat 27 Apr at pm. How to recycle in Canberra: Common mistakes you're probably making. Food scraps, green waste could soon be collected from your kerb. Changing these few things can drastically reduce what we send to landfill.

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