What can i put in a garden compost bin?

apart from veg/fruit peelings, dead flowers %26amp; garden waste, tea bags %26amp; egg shells? any thing else? thanks all who reply -Lou

What can i put in a garden compost bin?
Basically nearly everything.All food waste with the exception of meat products (meat encourages rats) All garden waste with the exception of long rooted weeds like dandelion,bindweed,nettles etc I personally don't put in soft weeds if they have seeded. All garden plants and clippings and some house waste like shredded paper and cardboard and the contents of your vacuum cleaner and sawdust. If you have a bonfire the wood ash is brilliant, lots of potash that improves fruits and flowers. Don't forget used compost when you re pot your plants tubs and baskets and pet waste from pets like rabbits hamsters etc the soiled bedding like paper or sawdust really make your compost heat up destroying weed seeds as does pet droppings.


The things I don't put in is anything woody, unless shredded, weeds with long roots or seeds, plastic or cloth.


The secrets of composting are keep it stirred, not too many grass clippings unless mixed in well and use an accelerator like garrotta or any fertiliser you use in the garden what i use a lot is chicken manure pellets from the garden centre and the best accelerator of all horse manure even a shovel full mixed in gives wonder full results.


So remember keep it stirred use an accelerator and the worms and biological activity will do the rest.


Happy composting
Reply:if you are in a apartment ,if you have a balcony get a big plastic bin drill some holes in the side and lid ,





and add a bit of sand now and again to put over the trash ,you should really stir or move the stuff at times to aerate it and ensure that the decomposition is overall ,keep moist





there are special compost bins you can get for apartments ,best to keep on the balcony where there is airflow.





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a general note on compost





bones,tree trunks,cardboard,eggshells ,leaves,kitchen waste,food scraps,newspaper,


kitty litter ,any organics banana skins ,nutshells ,saw dust,vegetable cuttings





All can be put on the compost heap





as long as you seal it with a covering of leaves .or put a piece of plastic on top ,


keep it moist and in the shade ,it will then get hot enough to kill all parasites





the worms will develop,and take care of everything ,the moisture helps decomposition





the plastic keeps in the moisture and protects the worms from predators .like chickens ,birds armadillos,and even dogs .i have seen going in to eat my worm culture





you could add a bit of lime now and again


to make the process more potent





HOW


make the compost in a shallow hole ,so that it retains more humidity,


about 2 square meters is good ,and have it under a tree or put a little roof over it,which does not have to be water proof ,so a palm thatch is enough,





and make sure the garden sprinkler gets there or spray some water on it ,at least once a week,don`t have it water logged or the worms will drown or leave





NOTE


food scraps are better if kept apart to feed to a pig or chickens or dogs depending on the food scraps


if one puts these things in the compost these animals ,(if allowed )will go into your compost .





also the rate of decomposition depending on temperature and moisture ,stipulates what can all go in your compost heap .





In Mexico where it is very warm ,with lots of bugs of all descriptions ,we can put a tree trunk in the compost and in 6 months it is gone completely ,there is also a much longer vigorous decomposition ,there is no winter to slow things down.and we continues add huge amounts of green matter such as banana stems


and leaves (each banana plant dies after making bunch)coconut palms (they drop all the time)


and cuttings ,the heap goes up and down ,and in 7 years has never grown ,it is like a hungry all consuming hole that has no limit to its appetite.





the base is one meter into the ground and i have never got round to cleaning it .although it has a lot of compost in it by now
Reply:Grain products, cereal, bread, rice, pasta, fruit cores, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags, nut shells





NEVER COMPOST:


meat scraps, dairy products, grease, waxed paper, newspaper, and cardboard
Reply:vacuum bag contents.


hair.


egg boxes - as you can't recycle these with cardboard.


small amounts of paper and cardboard.


That's about it.
Reply:Hair,


Coffee grinds,


Paper from the shredder (alternate layers of paper and green waste)
Reply:Cardboard %26amp; cardboard egg boxes


Water


NO cooked food
Reply:Waste paper
Reply:Grass clippings but not too many.
Reply:add a few earthworms - a little ready made compost
Reply:earthworms, plus add a bag of mulch
Reply:dog turds?