Banana skins - compostible?
 

A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Banana skins - compostible?
 

"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message
...
A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

We don't eat many bananas but their skins are certainly composted. If you
keep a banana skin it will very quickly go dark and shrivelled. If you keep
it moist I bet you'll find that it degrades quickly too.

Not worth doing though, it's faster in the compost.

Mary

Banana skins - compostible?
 

In article ,
Terry Pinnell writes:
| A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
| compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
| please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
| not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

He is talking nonsense. Like orange peel, if they are left on the
surface, they may dry out and may stay intact until they get buried.
But they don't last long if both damp and uder the surface.

| [Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

Nor does mine, but it's compostable.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Banana skins - compostible?
 

"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message
...
A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

It's compostable, Terry. Easy to remember: "able to compost".
Yes, of course you can compost bananas. I've been doing it for years and
never (in 27 years) had a problem. You can also bury them under flowering
trees or shrubs, as they're very high in potash.

If you want to worry that they've been sprayed with something noxious, then
the argument that they take a long time to break down negates itself, as the
noxious substance would also have degraded in that time. However, I find,
as you do, that there's so recognisable skin left after a normal (cold)
composting period.

Some people just need something to worry about. Somehow, composting and
neurosis don't fit together very well. Composters are, by nature,
down-to-earth people.

Spider

Banana skins - compostible?
 

On 10/7/08 12:08, in article ,
"Terry Pinnell" wrote:

A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

On the contrary, they're said to be very good for roses especially, so you
could just bury them at the foot of your rose bushes! Must be the potassium
in them, or something. But they are certainly compostable.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Banana skins - compostible?
 

On Jul 10, 12:58*pm, "Spider" wrote:
"Terry Pinnell" wrote in message

...

A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

It's compostable, Terry. *Easy to remember: "able to compost".
Yes, of course you can compost bananas. *I've been doing it for years and
never (in 27 years) had a problem. *You can also bury them under flowering
trees or shrubs, as they're very high in potash.

If you want to worry that they've been sprayed with something noxious, then
the argument that they take a long time to break down negates itself, as the
noxious substance would also have degraded in that time. *However, I find,
as you do, that there's so recognisable skin left after a normal (cold)
composting period.

Some people just need something to worry about. *Somehow, composting and
neurosis don't fit together very well. *Composters are, by nature,
down-to-earth people.

I like that last expression, it is so litterally true !
There are lots of weird memes about what you should or shouldn't
compost, though. One which gave me a great giggle was someone dear to
me telling me how he never put stale bread in the compost bin, because
bread mould is antibiotic (penicillin blah blah blah). All our bits
of heel, or crust that do not get consumed by us under some other
guise go into our compost heap, which should therefore theoretically
be sterile.

Cat(h)

Banana skins - compostible?
 

Sacha wrote:
On 10/7/08 12:08, in article ,
"Terry Pinnell" wrote:

A friend told me recently that you shouldn't put banana skins into the
compost box, as they take many years to degrade. Was he correct
please? We've been including them for a long time and I'm sure we've
not seen any recognisable ex-bananas in our resultant compost.

[Compostible? Compostable? My OED doesn't tell me.]

On the contrary, they're said to be very good for roses especially, so you
could just bury them at the foot of your rose bushes! Must be the potassium
in them, or something. But they are certainly compostable.
While on the subject of composting, but off the topic of banana skins, I
have almost a sack of last years potatoes, will these compost easily?
The reason I ask is that, like I image most people, potatoes springing
up in seed beds are a real nuisance.

Banana skins - compostible?
 

In article ,
Broadback writes:
|
| While on the subject of composting, but off the topic of banana skins, I
| have almost a sack of last years potatoes, will these compost easily?
| The reason I ask is that, like I image most people, potatoes springing
| up in seed beds are a real nuisance.

Fairly easily, and it's only the small ones that you will miss; once
a potato starts to rot, it won't stop half-way. If you can freeze
them or heat them (to, say, 70 Celsius), it will kill them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Banana skins - compostible?
 

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

All our bits
of heel, or crust that do not get consumed by us under some other
guise go into our compost heap, which should therefore theoretically
be sterile.

That's supposed to attract rats.

But why waste bread?

Mary

Banana skins - compostible?
 

On Jul 10, 4:06*pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message

...

* All our bits

of heel, or crust that do not get consumed by us under some other
guise go into our compost heap, which should therefore theoretically
be sterile.

That's supposed to attract rats.

But why waste bread?

Mary

Do you know what? I thought of you as I wrote this, and nearly put a
"Mary" rider, as this is not the first time we talk about waste :-)
We waste as little as we can, but we are a household of 2 people
working long hours outside the home, often with unpredictable days.
As a result, we sometimes waste more than we like, be it bread or
other things - alas.
Regarding rats, I have spent my first gardening year not putting bread
in the compost, and ended up with rats. I then started stirring the
compost religiously every week, and the rats went. I continued
stirring, and putting whatever bread was left over and unuseable into
the compost heap, as I though it was better than the bin. The rats
are now very rare visitors, whereas they used to be a feature pre-
bread.
So go figure. I guess a warm pile of food is bound to be attractive,
especially if it is relatively undisturbed, bread or no bread.

Cat(h)

Banana skins - compostible?
 

Broadback writes
While on the subject of composting, but off the topic of banana skins,
I have almost a sack of last years potatoes, will these compost easily?
The reason I ask is that, like I image most people, potatoes springing
up in seed beds are a real nuisance.

They grow very well in compost heaps :-)
--
Kay

Banana skins - compostible?
 

"Cat(h)" wrote in message
...
On Jul 10, 4:06 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message

...

All our bits

of heel, or crust that do not get consumed by us under some other
guise go into our compost heap, which should therefore theoretically
be sterile.

That's supposed to attract rats.

But why waste bread?

Mary

Do you know what? I thought of you as I wrote this, and nearly put a
"Mary" rider, as this is not the first time we talk about waste :-)
We waste as little as we can, but we are a household of 2 people
working long hours outside the home, often with unpredictable days.
As a result, we sometimes waste more than we like, be it bread or
other things - alas.
Regarding rats, I have spent my first gardening year not putting bread
in the compost, and ended up with rats. I then started stirring the
compost religiously every week, and the rats went. I continued
stirring, and putting whatever bread was left over and unuseable into
the compost heap, as I though it was better than the bin. The rats
are now very rare visitors, whereas they used to be a feature pre-
bread.
So go figure. I guess a warm pile of food is bound to be attractive,
especially if it is relatively undisturbed, bread or no bread.

Cat(h)

A friend of mine is single with a very busy and largely unpredictable life.

She slices a loaf, wraps a day's worth of slices in cling film and freezes
them. She then takes out what she needs and because it's such a small amount
it thaws rapidly. That way she never wastes any.

Sometime a loaf lasts us - two old folk - three or four days but it's never
thrown away, it's always edible. But I do make our bread :-)

Mary

Banana skins - compostible?
 

K wrote:
Broadback writes
While on the subject of composting, but off the topic of banana skins,
I have almost a sack of last years potatoes, will these compost
easily? The reason I ask is that, like I image most people, potatoes
springing up in seed beds are a real nuisance.

They grow very well in compost heaps :-)
Yes indeed, that is the problem I have. Freezing or heating a sack of
potatoes would take more energy than worth the result.

Banana skins - compostible?
 

In article ,
Broadback writes:
|
| Yes indeed, that is the problem I have. Freezing or heating a sack of
| potatoes would take more energy than worth the result.

Leaving them in a container of water over the summer would also work,
but be careful not to stir it when you have visitors due :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Banana skins - compostible?
 

On Jul 10, 5:59*pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Cat(h)" wrote in message

...
On Jul 10, 4:06 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

"Cat(h)" wrote in message

....

All our bits

of heel, or crust that do not get consumed by us under some other
guise go into our compost heap, which should therefore theoretically
be sterile.

That's supposed to attract rats.

But why waste bread?

Mary

Do you know what? I thought of you as I wrote this, and nearly put a
"Mary" rider, as this is not the first time we talk about waste :-)
We waste as little as we can, but we are a household of 2 people
working long hours outside the home, often with unpredictable days.
As a result, we sometimes waste more than we like, be it bread or
other things - alas.
Regarding rats, I have spent my first gardening year not putting bread
in the compost, and ended up with rats. *I then started stirring the
compost religiously every week, and the rats went. *I continued
stirring, and putting whatever bread was left over and unuseable into
the compost heap, as I though it was better than the bin. *The rats
are now very rare visitors, whereas they used to be a feature pre-
bread.
So go figure. *I guess a warm pile of food is bound to be attractive,
especially if it is relatively undisturbed, bread or no bread.

Cat(h)

A friend of mine is single with a very busy and largely unpredictable life.

She slices a loaf, wraps a day's worth of slices in cling film and freezes
them. She then takes out what she needs and because it's such a small amount
it thaws rapidly. That way she never wastes any.

Sometime a loaf lasts us - two old folk - three or four days but it's never
thrown away, it's always edible. But I do make our bread :-)

Mary

Your friend and you are obviously far better organised than my other
half and I :-)
I haven't made bread in quite some time - more's the pity, as it is
quite lovely. I particularly like making Irish brown soda bread. As
soon as my new kitchen is in, I must go back to my old good habits.
And try to get a little more organised, and a little less wasteful :-)
Do mid-year resolutions count?

Cat(h)