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Newspapers
– shredding them before will speed up the composting process. If
you have more then a better option is recycling.
Wood shavings
– use only shavings from untreated wood and try to use not too
much
Wood ashes
– again not too much because wood ashes are alkaline and are
high in Potassium. Don’t use coal and charcoal. Coal ashes
contain sulfur and iron that can hurt your plants.
Cardboard
– tear into small pieces, if you have a lot then recycle
– great for composting and worms love them!
Egg shells
– crush them before putting on the pile. They break down slowly
but are great addition to your compost
Hair
– spread them out
Pine needles and pine cones
– if possible shred them because they take a while to break down
Weeds and grass clipping
– to avoid smell you can spread them out and let them dry a little
and then put them on the pile.
Seaweed
– a great material for your compost. Wash off the salt before you
put it to your compost
Kitchen waste
– corn cobs and cornstalks (the smaller pieces the better), apple
cores, banana and carrot peelings, tea bags, melon rinds, egg
shells, leftover veggies and fruit. They all are rich in nutrients, thus
a great addition to compost.
Manure
– one of the best materials for your compost. Manure for
composting can come from chickens, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits,
horses, cows, ducks and other vegetarian animals.
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Meat
– it will decompose eventually but it will cause a bad odor and
attract animals
Fat, oils, grease and bones
Lime
– can kill composting process
Charcoal briquettes
Coal ashes
– they contain a large amount of iron and sulfur that can injure
your plants
Dog/cat droppings and cat litter
– may have disease organisms
Fish bones and scraps
– they attract rodents and smell.
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The city of Long Beach provides
free composting and smart gardening
workshops
that are held every third Saturday. For the upcoming workshop click
here.
Living in Long Beach?
The city offers backyard composting bins for residents at a reduced
price. For more info click here.
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