Comments on: Things You Can Compost That You Didn’t Think You Could

By: steph

steph — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:13:42 +0000

Thanks for the post. I love your book and am giving folks copies for the winter holidays, as well as directing them to your blog. Thank you for all that you share.

By: Angie I.

Angie I. — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:32:51 +0000

Just a note: you can only compost wine corks that are made of actual cork. A lot of companies are now using plastic “corks”. I don’t think these “corks” would be problematic, might even help with aeration, but they won’t break down. Not in out lifetimes anyway.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:21:39 +0000

Say, Ms. Gayla, maybe you should do a section on regional composting. KT’s comment intrigues me. And industrial vs home composting.

By: Stacia

Stacia — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:29:44 +0000

A quick note about products that say they can be composted on the label: These products are not necessarily meant to be composted at home (i.e. the Trader Joe’s Kittie Litter). Some things refer to industrial composting, which gets super-duper hot.

By: KT

KT — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:20:44 +0000

In Toronto you’re not supposed to put some of these things, like hair (human or pet), cloth, gum, etc. in the green compost bin for collection – I wonder why that is? Maybe it complicates the processing. All the more reason to compost at home I guess!

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:57:27 +0000

Supposedly putting hair (human though i’d imagine that dog or cat fur would help, too) directly into your garden and pushing it into the dirt will help discourage moles and those stupid gophers. I dont know how effective waiting for the compost to break down would be against moles, but I’m willing to try it in spring! Of course, I’m also using some nastier means this spring to get rid of the little terrors, too, but that’s a whole ‘nother rant.
OH! and I always put my tea grinds into my compost. Makes it smell fruity and pleasanter.

By: Gayla

Gayla — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:12:05 +0000

mbjb: Some weeds like bindweed should not go in the bin.

By: mbjb

mbjb — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:40:44 +0000

sorry I haven’t read the first book… but can I add the weeds I pull from the yard to the compost bin? I always wonder if I will end up ‘planting’ them by doing so…

By: melissabee

melissabee — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:34:48 +0000

Yeah, me too about the gum! I got told it would only digest after 30 years. I think I was about 5, and I was totally grossed out.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:57:42 +0000

Gum, seriously? Then I think my mom lied to meÃ¢â‚¬â€I remember being told if you swallowed it, it would stay in your stomach FOREVER. Hah! Take that, Mom!