Compost is essential in a vegetable garden and a great way of reducing your waste footprint if you are trying to live a “greener” existence. I have been composting properly for about three years now and over that time I have learnt a little about what you can and can’t put in your compost pile.
The basics are simple – anything natural or plant based can be composted, with a couple of exceptions. Avoid meats, fats, dairy as this attracts rodents and smell awful. Most waste can be broken down into what they call green waste and brown waste. Usually they suggest you have for every 1 of “green waste” you have at least 3 or 4 “brown”
The “green” are usually moist and nitrogen rich and break down quickly.
A list of “Green” Waste
- Fruit and vegetable peels – just be careful I have found potato peeling love to sprout in compost
- Citrus rinds
- Melon rinds
- Coffee grounds
- Tea leaves/tea bags
- Old vegetables from the crisper
- Houseplant trimmings
- Weeds that haven’t gone to seed
- Grass clippings
- Fresh leaves
- Deadheads from flowers
- Dead plants (as long as they aren’t diseased)
- Seaweed
- Cooked plain rice* these can be left out if you are worried about vermin
- Cooked plain pasta*
- Stale bread*
- Corn husks
- Corn cobs
- Broccoli stalks
- Sod that you’ve removed to make new garden beds
- Thinnings from the vegetable garden
- Spent bulbs that you used for forcing indoors
- Holiday greenery (from wreaths and swags, for example) – just be sure to cut the stems off of the wreath form or wires first)
- Rabbit and Guinea pig poop
- Egg shells.
“Brown” waste is carbon rich, it breaks down slowly and aerates the compost pile
A List of “Brown” waste
- Shredded newspaper
- Shredded office paper/school papers
- Shredded, non-glossy junk mail
- Torn up plain corrugated cardboard boxes (not with glossy coatings)
- Straw
- Bedding from hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits – we use Cookie’s bedding
- Fall leaves
- Chopped up twigs and small branches
- Pine cones
- Nut shells (avoid walnut shells as they can inhibit plant growth)
- Excelsior
- Raffia
- Used napkins
- Toilet paper, paper towel, or wrapping paper tubes
- Fallen bird’s nests
- Pine needles/pine straw
- Paper coffee filters (used)
- Pressed paper egg cartons, torn into small pieces
- Sawdust (only from untreated wood)
- Brown paper shopping bags, shredded/torn
- Brown paper lunch bags, shredded/torn
- Leftover peat or coir from seed starting
- Coir liners for hanging baskets
- Wood chips
- Bedding from chickens.
The smaller you break things up the quicker they can decompose, turning your pile frequently is essential and if it gets too damp add lots of “brown” to balance things out and hopefully by next summer you should have gorgeous compost for your vegetable garden.
I have made a printable list for you too so you can add it to your gardening file if you have one
Site Title 
so so helpful- thanks for the printable!
LikeLike
Hi Amber,
Just stopping by from the Say G'Day link party.
Good post! We are faithful composters coming up twenty-five years now, and it has improved our garden tremendously. Thank you so much for the list. It will definitely be going into my gardening journal.
Have a great day!
Val @ artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca
LikeLike
Great list! We would love for you to come and link up with us at Your Designs This Time! http://elizabethjoandesigns.com/2014/06/designs-time-no-13/
LikeLike
Awesome list! Pinned and printing! I tried composting last year, didn't quite get it so this list will help!
LikeLike
Composting is something that I have wanted to start here. I feel so awful tossing all my vegetable and fruit scraps in the garbage. My mom has offered to bring a trailer-load of soiled bedding and manure from her ranch so I can compost it!
LikeLike
Great advice here Amber. I've just pinned your post and it is also on my Pinterest Page on Facebook. Thanks for sharing at the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party!
Best wishes for a fabulous week,
Natasha in Oz
LikeLike