"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" replied:

I think the theory is that the newsprint is made of chemicals which may be
nasty. ---
As a staff member on a daily newspaper for most of my working life, I came
into close ( very close and messy at times) contact with printing ink every
day. The ink didn't appear to harm me inwardly, but might well have had a
lot to do with me becoming folically challenged by the time I was 55.

MikeCT

Alan Holmes writes

"Tulpa" wrote in message
roups.com...
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot compost? I
am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells and bits of skin).
I try to layer with grass clippings and some cardboard. There are worms
and the whole thing seems to be settling well. I'm having difficulty
filling it up!

Are there any definate 'No-No's' or should I soldier on as I am? Are
there things I should definately be adding?

Sounds as thought you are doing all the right things, except perhaps the
prawn shells and bits of skin, I put shreded paper in mine as well.

Prawn shells and bits of skin aren't a problem.
--
Kay

"Jim Paterson" wrote in message
...

"Rachel Aitch" wrote in message
...

Tulpa Wrote:
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot compost? I
am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells and bits of
skin).
I try to layer with grass clippings and some cardboard. There are
worms
and the whole thing seems to be settling well. I'm having difficulty
filling it up!

Are there any definate 'No-No's' or should I soldier on as I am? Are
there things I should definately be adding?

Thank you.
From my experience the 'dalek' style of bins are pretty naff as they do
not heat up enough. With them it is the worms that do the work and so it
takes longer.
The best system imho is 2-3 purpose built 'Bins' either wood or breeze
block constuction. My bins are joined together and each compartment is
approx. 4' square. When bin #1 is full fork it into bin #2 then bin #3 and
keep the rotation going. Do it right and you will burn your hand if you
stick it into the heap. That heat is the bacterial action and should be
hot enough to kill any disease and weed seeds. If the weather is
particularly wet I cover with an old piece of carpet.
A compost heap needs water and air and if you add a little topsoil that
will introduce the soil bacteria necessary to turn it into usable compost.
Do NOT add fallen leaves in quantity as they rot down using a different
process and will only retard your heap.
Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. ( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

You forgot to mention the natural compost feeder which is part of mens
natural outgoings!

Alan

Jim

Rachel Aitch writes


From my experience sorting out other peoples' composty bins I'd say -

Don't add:
Citrus peel ie grapefruit or orange skins - they take forever to rot
and make the bin smell.

OK if they're aren't too many of them in a big outdoor heap. May be a
problem in a little plastic composter.

Egg shells. They just don't rot! Ever! (despite what the books say)

Potatoes (including peelings of indoor ones) due to risk of blight

Only a problem if you're planning to grow potatoes

plus
you get baby spuds everywhere that you use the compost.
Tomatoes due to risk of disease.

Again, only a problem if you're planning to grow them

Any meat or fish scraps - you already know about that one,

Allegedly because it will attract rats, but other things I've read
suggest rats are more attracted by grain. Also, fats don't break down
well.

but I
wouldn't put any sort of fish scraps in either, as it will attract
cats. Is that a bad thing?
Plastic. Obvious, I know, but that includes the labels on fruit, plant
labels, etc.

And those irritating clear windows on envelopes. And parcel tape on
cardboard boxes. It won't harm the compost, but won't rot down, so
you'll end up picking bits of plastic out of the compost.


The worms are an excellent sign (they should be skinny red ones, called
Tiger Worms for some unknown reason),

They're vaguely stripey.


--
Kay

Jim Paterson writes

Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. ( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

I've never really understood this. Why should tree leaves rot down any
differently from grass leaves or weed leaves or cabbage leaves?

Or is it that leaves in quantity settle into a soggy mass that isn't
aerated enough for the bacterial action?
--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...
Jim Paterson writes

Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. ( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

I've never really understood this. Why should tree leaves rot down any
differently from grass leaves or weed leaves or cabbage leaves?

Well I don't know why, but they do rot down quite differently to other
compost.

Alan

"Cat(h)" wrote in message
ps.com...

George.com wrote:
"Tulpa" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot compost?
I
am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells and bits of
skin).
I try to layer with grass clippings and some cardboard. There are
worms
and the whole thing seems to be settling well. I'm having difficulty
filling it up!

Are there any definate 'No-No's' or should I soldier on as I am? Are
there things I should definately be adding?

Thank you.

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/orga...compost_pf.php

rob

Good basic info there, but it suggests that newspaper is best avoided
in compost... why? I use quite a bit of newspaper to dry up my
compost, as well as shredded paper - whatever doesn't go to the
recycling bin goes into the compost, and that works quite well for me.
So. why would an organic website advise against newspaper in compost
heaps?

perhaps they mean sheets of newprint, shredded/ripped up stuff goes in my
compost and it works out fine.

rob

"Tulpa" wrote in message
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot
compost? I
am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells and bits of
skin).

I put in whole hens that die of old age (or fox attack) and they
compost down just fine - the only thing left is the keel bone and the
thigh bones.

Basically anything that has once been a living thing can be composted.
It all turns back into soil eventually.

However, having said that, you may need to ask how to compost whatever
it is you want to compost. I (have) used 3 systems - the traditional
side by side bins, the plastic tumbler types bins and the anaerobic
big sit-on-the-ground with a lid but no bottom type bins.

I hate the side by side bins and have now abandoned them and use them
just to collect stuff to be composted. I hate 'em because they take
too much work. Build it, then turn it and keep turning it is for the
muscularly inclined (which isn't a woman recovering from cancer [or
anyone over the age of 40 with any sense :-)]). The plastic compost
tumblers are wonderful, just remember to tumble every day and sit them
in the sun and water the contents if needed - about 3-4 weeks to
produce compost in hot weather if turning takes place regularly. The
plastic sit on the ground with open bottom types are also wonderful
(and sound like they are the ones you have) but they do take a long
time to produce anything (this type is good to put in hen bodies as
once they get a bit of height up they carcase can be buried). They
are also more soggy contents wise than other types and need to sit in
the sun for best effect (and can attract mice and snakes [the latter
not being a prob in the UK but are here]). Give this type a stir
every now and then but generally just keep topping up and wait for a
year or two and eventually, you'll get good compost material.

"K" wrote in message
Jim Paterson writes

Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready.
( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process
which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

I've never really understood this. Why should tree leaves rot down
any
differently from grass leaves or weed leaves or cabbage leaves?

Or is it that leaves in quantity settle into a soggy mass that isn't
aerated enough for the bacterial action?

For some reason, the leaves from Plane trees are very hard to break
down in a compost situation, but I've not had problems with other
types of leaves if well mixed with other materials. Anything that is
too dominant doesn't seem to be a good idea (at least that's been my
experieince - mix and it's fine).

"K" wrote in message
...
Rachel Aitch writes

Any meat or fish scraps - you already know about that one,

Allegedly because it will attract rats, but other things I've read
suggest rats are more attracted by grain. Also, fats don't break down
well.

--
Kay

Until I upgraded the base and edges it was the worms the rats targeted in
mine! I now have a ring of slates driven into the ground around them and
worm populations are back to normal.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"K" wrote in message
...
Jim Paterson writes

Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. ( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

I've never really understood this. Why should tree leaves rot down any
differently from grass leaves or weed leaves or cabbage leaves?

Or is it that leaves in quantity settle into a soggy mass that isn't
aerated enough for the bacterial action?
--
Kay

My unscientific explanation is that green tree leaves compost fine but once
they are dry and dead bacterial composting is slow because the leaves are
woody. Wood does not tend to be subject to bacterial decay (thankfully) and
decays by fungal action.
The exception to this are the wet soggy leaves of common maples which seem
to vanish in a traditional heap.
Come on someone give a proper scientific explanation.

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"Jim Paterson" wrote in message
...

"Rachel Aitch" wrote in message
...

Tulpa Wrote:
Hi there, can anyone give me ideas for what I can and cannot compost? I
am not putting in meat or fish (Barring prawn shells and bits of
skin).
I try to layer with grass clippings and some cardboard. There are
worms
and the whole thing seems to be settling well. I'm having difficulty
filling it up!

Are there any definate 'No-No's' or should I soldier on as I am? Are
there things I should definately be adding?

Thank you.
From my experience the 'dalek' style of bins are pretty naff as they do
not heat up enough. With them it is the worms that do the work and so it
takes longer.
The best system imho is 2-3 purpose built 'Bins' either wood or breeze
block constuction. My bins are joined together and each compartment is
approx. 4' square. When bin #1 is full fork it into bin #2 then bin #3
and keep the rotation going. Do it right and you will burn your hand if
you stick it into the heap. That heat is the bacterial action and should
be hot enough to kill any disease and weed seeds. If the weather is
particularly wet I cover with an old piece of carpet.
A compost heap needs water and air and if you add a little topsoil that
will introduce the soil bacteria necessary to turn it into usable
compost.
Do NOT add fallen leaves in quantity as they rot down using a different
process and will only retard your heap.
Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. ( They
rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process which uses
bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't hurt. hth

You forgot to mention the natural compost feeder which is part of mens
natural outgoings!

Alan

Jim


Alan what is wrong with a Woman's equivalent natural outgoings--too hormonal
or what:-)

"Ornata" wrote in message
ups.com...

Amethyst Deceiver wrote:
Cat(h) wrote:
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message
ps.com...

Good basic info there, but it suggests that newspaper is best
avoided in compost... why? I use quite a bit of newspaper to dry
up my compost, as well as shredded paper - whatever doesn't go to
the recycling bin goes into the compost, and that works quite well
for me. So. why would an organic website advise against newspaper
in compost heaps?

Cat(h)

I think the theory is that the newsprint is made of chemicals which
may be nasty.

So, it's OK to read them, and eat one's fish and chips in them, but
not to compost them ?;-)

I doubt your fish and chips are actually in the newspaper. They'll be in
plain paper which is over-wrapped in newspaper these days.

I thought newspapers nowadays were printed with soya-based ink. I
compost mine.

If the newspaper in question is the Daily Mail, the compost bin is the
appropriate place for it. I dunno about poisonous or nasty chemicals, but
whenever I've read it I've felt a horrible sickening feeling and an urge to
scrub myself clean, but that's the comments in it not the paper.

--
Tips for Evil Cult Members:
117. Never play strip Tarot.
http://www.sff.net/paradise/overlord.html

K wrote:
Jim Paterson writes

Leaves should be kept separate to be used as leafmould when ready. (
They rot down by fungal action as opposed to the composting process
which uses bacterial action) Having said that, a FEW leaves won't
hurt. hth

I've never really understood this. Why should tree leaves rot down any
differently from grass leaves or weed leaves or cabbage leaves?

Or is it that leaves in quantity settle into a soggy mass that isn't
aerated enough for the bacterial action?

I'm no expert on this, but I understand that deciduous trees put a lot of
nitrogenous waste into their leaves before they drop (this is a good way for
them to remove the excess nitrogen, and also helps to poison competing
plants which have the effrontery to try to grow around the tree). These
toxins take a long time to break down properly (that is the point in the
allelopathic poisoning of competitors), hence the longer decomposition time.

On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:31:20 +1100, "Farm1" wrote:
(and can attract mice and snakes [the latter
not being a prob in the UK but are here]).

(snip all the stuff with which I agree : ) )

Snakes can be a prob. in the UK compost heap !
(but perhaps not quite such a _big_ prob. as may be the case in Aus.)
We have two - grass snake and adder (viper),
I have both in my garden.
The latter has a nasty venom which can ( I am told) be fatal in
children and the infirm/unhealthy/sensitive.
The grass snake is harmless except when the compost bin owner is
startled to find it (and its eggs) in the compost heap. A nasty injury
can be sustained when running backwards at high velocity and falling
over one's garden implements.