10 things NOT to COMPOST and WHY

Ever wonder why some things are considered a NO NO for the compost pile? Well, in this vlog we go over 10 things not to add to your compost pile.
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If you all can think of more things not to compost by all means add in the comments!
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1. Dog and cat poo
2. Vegetable or motor oils
3. Glossy paper
4. Synthetic clothing
5. Meat scraps
6. Dairy
7. Fish and Eggs
8. Grass clippings or hay from a yard/field sprayed with herbicides or other chemicals.
9. Diseased/pest-ridden plants
10. Walnut tree debris

[@anciskold541]

Have you tried bokashi composting? I ferment my vegetable kitchen scrap with bokashi for 15 days then I mix it with old potting soil, let it do it's thing for at least 3 weeks before I put it in a big plastic rain barrel. This way I get really rich compost to add to my garden next spring. Earlier I've spent too much money each year on baged soil/compost but this way I hope to produce a lot of compost during boring winter months in my apartment!

[@Hannahcode1]

Are you using Salt to ferment? Salt fermentation would not be good in my guesstimation.

[@gardenguychannel]

Hey Anci! That's awesome you're doing Bokashi! Keep it up. Be sure to remember that the material you produce in 10 or so days still needs to decompose more to be used in the garden. But the 'tea' it produces can be great to bolster your houseplants. I haven't tried it yet but that might have to be a future project!!

[@anciskold541]

@@Hannahcode1 No, I'm using the Bokashi method. :)

[@anciskold541]

@@gardenguychannel With bokashi, the food scraps is being fermented for 15 days. After that I mix it with used, old potting compost in a plastic... um... box? I put a lid on but make sure air gets in and that the soil doesn't dry completely. After 3 weeks most of the bokashi compost is broken down if it was in small pieces at the beginning. But after that I put it in my plastic rain barrel where it'll sit untill spring. I know it'll be ready to use then. 🙂 I know a lot of people here in Sweden are using their bokashi compost directly after the first 15 days of fermenting. They dig a hole in their garden bed, pour the bokashi in the hole and cover it with soil. The bokashi gives a lot of nutrients at the same time it turns into soil. Personally I've used to dig my garden beds in autumn and empty my bokashi into the beds at that time and that way prepare my beds for spring. But now I'm thrying this "compost factory" way to, hopefully, reduce the amount of baged compost I'll have to buy next spring.

[@megonokhate8853]

Thanks .

[@littlebrookreader949]

1. Dog pooh 2. Oils 3. Glossy, silky, plastic covered paper 4. Glass clippings with any type of spray or chemical, including hay. 5. Walnut tree material or clippings of any kind. (Plant inhibitor) 6. Clothing material and ornaments (synthetic) 7. Diseased plant material. No tomato material. 8. Meat scraps of any kind. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you! Beautiful compost!

[@myshinobi1987]

Thank you 😂😂😂😂😂

[@TinCupChalice40]

How about coffee grounds?

[@yoelbeche6213]

​@TinCupChalice40 Coffee ground is great and the C:N ratio something around 25:1

[@dontalkt2meboutheroes]

4. Grass clippings

[@abubakrpenfound406]

why not great clippings? isn't that good ​@@dontalkt2meboutheroes

[@lisakruger5289]

Thank you for explaining the why of not composting cooking oil. I never added it to my compost just because it's messy, but it was good to hear the science behind why you shouldn't compost it. Great video!

[@EleanorPeterson]

A suggestion for nervous gardeners: If you have any perennial weeds or diseased plant material at the end of the growing season (tomato and potato plants with blight, for example) and hate the idea of simply throwing such stuff away but are worried about spreading weed seeds and viruses if you recycle it, you can always incinerate it and then sprinkle the sterile ashes onto your compost. The minerals will survive and carry on working for you. Please note, though, that you'll need quite a lot of material to make incineration worthwhile. Fire will destroy ALL pests, seeds, spores, viruses and diseases but, since plant material is mostly water and empty space, be prepared for that gigantic heap of dead tomato plants or mountain of maize stalks to be reduced to a teeny-weeny pile of (useful) ash! 🙂

[@josephwilliams1915]

You can also use that ash to make potash and then make soap.

[@t.dig.2040]

My soil is already on the alkaline side, so ash makes me nervous. I do make quite of char to add to the compost.

[@jessl5024]

I'm barely learning and putting into action the things I'm learning. I save potato peels and dry them in the oven. I then make it into a powder. Is this what that means? Or is it something different and I'm confusing what you mean. I'm straight up a city person and always just went to the store for everything, so everything is super new to me. TY in advance to anyone who wants to give me a few tips, they are truly appreciated.

[@TheEllis197]

That’s an awesome idea! Ash is carbon and carbon is the base of life.

[@davidl.williams7366]

In SoCal, incinerating is illegal.

[@danweiland4649]

A very wise old man once taught me to always face your empty wheel barrow in the direction you're going with it when it's full, then you don't have to turn it around when it's full and heavy.

[@elizabethlamont1246]

That pitchfork seems too short for a tall guy

[@oliverbruce1702]

Thats common sense

[@elitesless1539]

I spilled a little old engine oil on the driveway and soaked it up with a nearby bag of organic soil. After it soaked it up for a couple hours I swept it over to a dead patch of yard. It was just old dirt there that hadn’t grown any grass next to the driveway. Now it was a patch of dark soil surrounded by grass. Month later Great was growing. I found that curious

[@davidl.williams7366]

The pilgrims nearly starved trying to grow their first food. Indians taught them to use a small fish under every corn hill as they planted the seeds. This saved the lives of many colonists. When I was young and able, I fished a lot and used the raw scrap parts of the fish like the colonists did. It worked quite well without even needing to compost. At 90, I no longer get to fish, but I do compost.

[@thisbushnell2012]

I'm 75 and struggling to keep the garden going. I also learned of the fish under the corn when we were taught about the three sisters. Fish for burying is harder to come by these days, since the 'just in time' supply method for the modern grocers became standard in the 90's.

[@princearteaga5161]

Natives you mean definitely not Indians

[@davidl.williams7366]

O. K. @@princearteaga5161

[@davidl.williams7366]

Took me a bit to remember, Squanto.@@princearteaga5161

[@Suffic-nj3tk]

The pilgrims were agrarian and had thousands of years of husbandry behind them as a people.

[@milkweed7678]

Wow, you have a nice pile of nice compost there. Looks bottomless-endless! Nice video!

[@gardenguychannel]

Thanks!

[@breeze787]

We have a use for all of the personal paperwork to shred. Having found that shredded paper is great for a compost I tried it because it was recommended like coffee grounds. What I've found is the worms love shredded paper and eat every bit of it that's in the middle of the pile. My neighbor gives me chicken manure from his coup and I'll get to check see how that works out next spring. I don't use my compost for my beds because my compost is mainly made up of grass cuttings from bagging lawn clippings. When I throw this into my beds grass begins to grow and I'd have to weed it out. Hate weeding by the way but it is a necessary garden task. So after I filter my compost I spread it back on the lawn because that's where it came from anyways.

[@marjorieprezioso4750]

Thanks for giving us the WHY.

[@torg5511]

I've had excellent results composting meat, fats,and oils by keeping them in small doses and running them through a bokashi bucket before adding them to the compost. Bokashi eliminates the odors that attract pests (rats abound and were a problem before I started using bokashi). Of course it has its own distinctive smell, but mine is kind of sweet, and I bury it under a carbon layer: leaves. I'm short good green stock to add the nitrogen component to my piles, so I experimented and found meat scraps help if they aren't concentrated and don't have their 'meaty' odors.

[@heatherannekennedy9368]

I add egg shells to mine - I let them dry in a bucket on the counter and than crush them up before adding them. Sometimes I even make a powder with the dried egg shells in my blender when I think my plants could use a calcium boost!

[@kathleenoverton3263]

I get my eggs from a person in the area with beautiful, healthy chickens. I wash the egg shells, naturally dry them, grind them and use that in my dogs diets every day. If I end up with too much ground eggshell I put right into my compost.

[@tracycrider7778]

Take that powder and mix with a c v it will dissolve the eggshells over time and quicker bioavailability ❤

[@lostpony4885]

Mine are thrown in simply with no illusions of availability

[@BigBoaby-sg1yo]

@@lostpony4885they also sharpen the blades of the blender .

[@neville3059]

​@@lostpony4885 I take shells from work and just toss them in my compost bin 3 or 4 gallons at a time. I don't bake, roast, puree, pulverize or anything. Just toss them in the compost pile. Mix it up or pile more stuff on top. It's compost not brain surgery. If there is a piece larger than a dime in 6 months I'd be shocked. It'll just release calcium a bit slower and longer.

[@nursesheris8777]

I buried fish remains after cleaned and filleted directly in the garden about 2 feet down and they worked lovely!!!

[@gardenguychannel]

Great idea!

[@DannyGruesome]

I buried my pet betta that got stuck under a rock and drowned right next to my jalapenos. She will be part of it and then me.

[@pretzelstick320]

I think this exact method is what the native Americans taught the Plymouth colony in order to survive.

[@homesteadingdaydreamer]

Thank you for the wonderful information!! It warms my heart to see a new garden being prepared. Keep up the amazing work!!

[@gardenguychannel]

Thank you! Will do!

[@mickybearden9641]

Oh I am with ya Lil Bubba...I've taken 2 Breaks already just watchin ya work so hard!!! Whew!!

[@vmjunnila]

I make compost mainly to dispose waste. But still i disagree on few things… grass clippings for example; if you work in your own garden and you know its free of toxins and fertilesers then why not…

[@aucklandnewzealand2023]

Weedspray

[@abdolnasersanaeesabzevary8359]

Tank u so much.speaking and working full of meaning.

[@carlosgomes6074]

Thank you for the great tips, i have recently started making composting from kitchen scrap.

[@sucinnovermeltfoort9234]

#1 plastic. I've so often come across plastic in people's compost! It never goes away. Other stuff wood, orange peel, meat etc yep chuck it all in. The worms will love you. And we all need the love of worms.

[@JakeFromSedrowoolley]

I don't typically comment on videos but you seem to be a genuine feller just looking for feedback. So here goes homie: I personally thought the content was great, good solid info. Obviously most people will be watching for a reason, not just scrolling and trolling... So thanks for sticking to your posted topic. (Lots of rambling wanna be comedians out there) which brings me to my last two thoughts. Thank you for not putting on some Goofy character or silly accent or trying to be a KZbin character or otherwise anything but YOU, doing what you know and enjoy in a chill easy going manner for like-wise minded individuals and randos just looking for something to watch. My one critique would be to not have the music in the background whilst talking. It is enjoyable and kinda goes with the whole gardening theme. It's just hard to pay good close attention to the useful info you're spitting our way, all the while thinking "I think I know this tune".. "Shit what did he say"...rewind... Haha damn ADHD. Music is awesome though. Gotta keep it in the montages without monologues/soliloquies.

[@gardenguychannel]

Thank you so much Jake! Awesome feedback and encouragement. I'll be sure to watch out for the times I use music. Blessings!

[@kathleenlangenbacher4407]

There was music in the background? Never heard it! Only heard his 10 things…

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

The number one thing Not to compost is your only supply of mulch. If you're scratching the bottom of the barrel for organic material, don't strip the ground bare just to fill that barrel. Having a good top layer is far more important and it lasts longer as mulch, and the gain in compost is doubly lost in the wind~

[@2021-j2d]

Where are you doing your gardening? How did you start that big compost pile, did you start with dirt or garden soil then bury kitchen scraps, etc?

[@brianmorris364]

Eggs and fish are fine to compost when finely chopped or ground.

[@martamccool2740]

Thank you for your advise and clear explanation of the reasons

[@JuliaHerych]

So satisfying to work along with someone and listen to interesting subject) Great experience) Just starting my compost bin now, and learning. Thanks for sharing❤

[@tomsanuy]

Thank you very much for the tips!

[@timpekarek9159]

Great video, yesterday I lead a composting workshop at an urban farm in my neighborhood in St. Louis. I covered most of these things but I didn't remember Walnuts or clothing. We have no walnut trees in the immediate area of our site, although I am aware of the property attributed to them that you mentioned. I have also never thought of adding clothing. In recent years I have noticed that the vast majority of cloth items seem to be blended material containing, in part, some of the bad stuff.

[@gardenguychannel]

So cool! Way to go doing that workshop!

[@rosewoodfarms]

I used to add coffee grounds but don't anymore. I read that most coffee is heaviy sprayed with herbasides and fungasides. I guess if you could get a hold of organic grounds, it would be fine.

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

Ok that all makes sense. Especially the old tomato vines. Thanks so much. God bless you all 👍🏻👍🏻

[@gardenguychannel]

You bet!

[@pampilgrim2274]

Hi, Benj! Thanks again! Valuable information.

[@amumof2347]

Csn raw yuca be composted? I was hifted a large bunch - 20+ yuca root - and many dpoiled because I was unfamiliar with the root and uncertain how to cook with it. Typically excessive/spoiled foods go to my chickens or compost. Is yuca ok for chickens or compost if raw? If cooked?

[@lostpony4885]

I composted a whole bunch of non-shiny junk mail last year and all winter i picked little envelope windows out of the compost. Forgot about those....

[@soniacruz738]

Good morning, I was looking for a video on compost and thank you very much for all your information. It gives me great insight I liked and started following and share. As I’m looking at your video, I see your getting ready to plant something so my question is can I just put the compost right in top of where I’m going to plant? I have some risen beds that are on the ground and it’s my first time attempting to grow, but I want to make sure I’m using the compost correctly Hope to hear from you soon and thank you very much for your information. God bless.

[@gardenguychannel]

Thank you! I’m so glad it was a blessing to you!

[@pampilgrim2274]

Thanks, Benj! Very helpful!

[@gardenguychannel]

You bet!

[@MysticalLoveAndLight]

I have a question please… Newbie here… Not actually started a compost or garden yet… My question is since is okay to add coffee grounds into the compost what about left over coffee??? I always have coffee left over in my coffee pot… Could I save it in a separate bucket and every time I have to moisten the compost pour the left over coffee over the pile first, and then the rest with water that I would need??? I hope I’m making sense lol … I just feel like I could use the leftover coffee as part of the liquid to moist in the compost before turning on the water …

[@gardenguychannel]

Hello! You could use your coffee for sure. It would be better for your bushes than for your vegetables. I personally would just pour it into your compost pile. That way the microbes can break the coffee down into a plant-useful form. Keep it up!! I hope this helps.

[@MysticalLoveAndLight]

@@gardenguychannel thank you… Ok I’ll definitely add to compost Blessed be

[@Well_I_am_just_saying]

I pretty much agree with your first 7 items, but I don't agree with the meats fish chicken and dairy products. My compost bin is made out of metal fencing so I am not concerned about critters trying to get into it to reach the meat. I simply dig a hole down into my compost pile to put the meat in so that the smell does not bother any neighbors. 1. Dog and cat feces 2. Oils 3. Glossy paper 4. Grass and hay due to herbicides 5. Walnut leaves and branches 6. Clothing 7. Diseased plants 8-10. Eggs, dairy, meats, fish, chicken.

[@use_less43210]

Very misleading, and bad information as far as I am concerned. Perhaps if you changed your title to "what not to put in your conventional vegetable garden compost". Dog poop, meat, dairy, seafood all can and should be composted to keep them out of landfills. Black Soldier Fly larvae are one great way, but other organisms will break those materials down over time, even if kept in their own system/container. Food waste (and pet waste) needs to be kept out of our landfills, and ways of doing that need to be preached.

[@paulvandenberg5341]

A load of …. If it’s not above 131 degrees and turned and heated again it’s not compost. That is the legal definition. Manures of all sorts are safe in a proper compost operation. Tomato vines compost well. Diseased plants should go into a compost system. Unless you use only walnut material there won’t be an issue. Spruce trees need to be diluted also. If it was alive it can be composted. I compost cats, dogs, goats, sheep, cattle, … Throwing it in a pile is not composting.

[@jacquelinehealy1797]

Thank you, very interesting and surprised about some things.

[@gardenguychannel]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jeannesmith9047]

I have 30 flower gardens in Pennsylvania and I use wood chips and they work great

[@gardenguychannel]

That's wonderful!

[@EdwinPSaldanha]

Awesome!! today I become the first to comment!! 😜! Good info on wat not to compost. Still, many questions... You haven't prepared your whole yard for gardening. Only 20% of your yard is being used for ur gardening R u not going to use the entire un used land there next to ur house? More often, here in India we don't use dog poo or cat poo as compost as they r considered as equally disgusting as as human poo. N we use cow dung as it only eats vegetables n cow dung is considered beneficial for many things. Ppl in the villages even make cow dung pies, dry thrm n use it for fire to cook or heat water. You can still make two videos a day. One for gardening tips n ur work on the garden and another with your friends, Jonah, Giggles, Alec, Maggi and Molly, Ian and Hannah. And even with your dad.. You can make one video a day with any one of these ppl. That will be the 2nd video a day.

[@gardenguychannel]

Hey Edwin. I plan on using my entire front yard. But not my entire back yard. Yes cow manure is GREAT for the compost pile! Oh my haha. It's already hard enough to get one video out a day. Two would be tough! But that's an idea for sure. :)

[@THEREAL_Ashbaby]

First video I ever see about you, very helpful already subscribed!

[@04DynaGlyde]

Thank You! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I never would of thought tomatoe vines cannot be composted. Can acorns be composted if cracked/broken up?

[@laurelbiedermann3267]

Great content. Thank you! Inspiring!

[@toddr4532]

The wheel barrow should be positioned empty in the direction it is going when it is full.

[@richards5110]

As others have mentioned, bokashi is a good way to process foods that are normally "do-not-adds" like meat, bones, dairy, oils, etc., allowing you to add the results to your main compost system safely after it's finished fermenting.

[@Damselfly54315]

You CAN add chicken bones, you gotta bake and grind them up first though to get the benefits, or pull out the calcium with a little vinegar...Bone is a good source of calcium if its baked and ground

[@HippocratesGarden]

I agree with.. maybe 3 of your list. As in everything it's the method that's important. (it's the how, not the cow). I'll agree with motor oils (veggy oils aren't bad, unless in excess not to mention, putting both petroleum and organic oils in one category makes no sense) and synthetic cloths as they just won't break down. I prefer not to use glossy paper, but I'm not going to loose sleep over it. Chemically treated anything (grass, hay etc) yeah, really prefer not to use that, but today good luck finding truly chemical-free anything. As for meat, dairy, fish, eggs.. no problem at all. If it rots, it's compost material. Heck I know a guy that will toss an entire dead cow in his pile, of course, he has a really really large pile. It's all about having the proper types of composting systems, proper size to actually get some heat going if trying to kill seeds or pathogens, time for some things and where to put it. I'll compost humanure in a minute, just for me after a year.. I'd personally have no problem using it on veg plot (though maybe not like tubers etc, but perennials, no problem) The only real problem with meats etc is the smell from the rotting flesh, but.. if you can smell it, it's not a problem with what you are composting, but that your pile is way way too small. I can do 1-2 whole chickens in a 4'x4'x4' pile with no problem, probaby not want to put a large dog in there. These blanket "do not's" just go to perpetuate oversimplification.

[@ianoliverbailey6545]

I couldn't agree more with you, Hippocrates Garden. These guys with their "Things NOT to compost" are usually the thinkers, not the doers. Anyone with any longterm experience of composting will do it in a way that you can just about add anything organic without fretting about the slightest thing that might be 'toxic' or 'harmful', as the composting process is a great degrader. Anything that doesn't break down quickly can either be thrown back to the next cycle, or just sorted out and thrown away. Of course, anyone thinking about chucking his last oilchange into the compost heap is just not fit to be anywhere near a garden.

[@jayflo714]

I would lose sleep over glossy paper. The gloss is literally a petroleum based chemical

[@christiannepogie5937]

I am always hesitant on using any types of mails. Because I don’t know what they use for it. What do you think?

[@nickslife7670]

I add in the winter tin fire ash from the indoor fireplace I feel up a metal bucket then I poor over the pile

[@dimanionelovelace8047]

Last year I composted dozens of pounds fruits and vegetables along with cardboard. But this year how do I check to see if my compost has not become toxic or diseased? After all the compost pile is accessible the neighborhood.

[@SuperManning11]

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t put orange or other citrus peels in the compost. I’ve added them to my pile for years before reading that they were bad, and I’ve never seen any problems. Does anyone know why citrus would be bad?

[@t.dig.2040]

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to compost citrus. I do know that in a worm bin, Citrus will temporarily repel the worms, so overloading could result in a crawl.

[@neville3059]

All depends on how big your compost pile is. 5 gallons bucket not a great ideas. 10 yard pile not a worry.

[@SuperManning11]

@@neville3059 that makes total sense. Thanks! I’m just coming in from checking my compost pile. Last week I added a huge pile of dried leaves, together with a half of a bucket of goat poop that’s I collect from a nearby ranch. I just lifted a bit of it to see the stream come pouring out, then gently set it back without turning anything over. My father used to tell me not to mess with it when it’s ‘working’. Again, I’ve never had any formal training on how to properly maintain a healthy compost pile, but the results they come from using my compost throughout my garden are indisputable. Plus I’m fascinated by the entire process!

[@neville3059]

@@SuperManning11 I is extraordinarily fascinating. Started as a whim for me now it's a a lifestyle. My wife is thrilled😆

[@SuperManning11]

@@neville3059 haha! Yeah, I’ve heard my fair share of, “Honey, take this compost out right now! It’s bringing bugs into my kitchen!” ☺️ 🐜

[@jesse4530]

I have a few walnut trees. I call it the gathering of the juglones.

[@cherlynortiz]

Praise God! Thank you, beautiful indigenous peoples..

[@kathleenlangenbacher4407]

How long did it take you to make that huge pile you were taking from? Just curious!

[@HelenSinger]

I have been saving piles of hair because I read they will break down and provide a couple things. I saw Martha Stewart do this a while ago. I also like to use chopped up melon rind which I hope does not have oils or something disruptive on it.

[@rug3308]

Always amazed at the power of God, the plants growing a miracle right before our eyes. I have clay soil and being lazy I just lay a 1-2 inch of loose compost and then wood chips on top. Too lazy too till?

[@frbrable]

Don't herbicides break down over time? Wouldn't they break down in the compost?

[@elizabethlamont1246]

I was thinking to use grass ckippings from mowing but my yard gets sprayed bimonthly for flea control. Will have to ask about that now.

[@SpidermanandhisAmazingFriends]

I have not watched this video yet, but I will predict that I probably composted nine out of 10 of these things no problem😅 So things I don't compost from this list are: 1. Dog/cat poo 2. Glossy paper 3. Clothing Everything else composts just fine😊😊 Although I am very picky about where I get my grass clippings from

[@MosaicHomestead]

My grass has no types of herbicides, If I don't compost grass clippings, im not composting, where to get material when I haven't started my garden yet.

[@sheaconnelly4287]

I live in Texas. Dog turds seem to aid in decomposition.

[@KellyIlliana]

I'm a hairdresser... So needless to say I have human hair on hand. I'm getting conflicting opinions about color treated hair in compost. I use my composting for my garden beds. Do you have an opinion on color treated human hair?

[@elihuthompson626]

Leave your eggshell in the carton and step on them the add to your compost I also add bone meal blood meal azomite and calcium to my compost and it make a great compost ! I always added some fish heads to my compost when it was at a good point for it

[@paulrivera797]

I heard that the only things that you can't compost from the walnut tree is the nut and the roots. I don't know, I just heard that before.

[@sdoken]

can you add yogurt to a combost bin that pests cannot enter?

[@alxxxx70]

Awesome

[@teresaoftheandes6279]

👍 Oh wow good point about tomatoes.

[@monkmode9853]

Can i add the superworms beddings in my compost? I feed my superworms all vegetables and fruit leaves, and the bedding was a cocopeat and some chicken feeds,. After months it turns into black and grains, but theres a poo of superworms on that beddings thats only i worry about, but it looks nice when i touch so smooth and healthy grains bcos it grains by superworms..

[@gardenguychannel]

Yes totally! Vermicompost is amazing stuff!

[@heathermatthews7422]

Gratitude 😊

[@GranpomLali]

Out of curiosity, what state are you in ? It's always interesting to see where people live.

[@gardenguychannel]

Hi John! We're located in Tennessee. Blessings!

[@donnastumme1729]

Fall not yet yipen fully green tomatoes make great autumn pies. I slice a large cinnamon roll to use as the top pie pastry crust. Most people say it tastes like apple pie but with a lit nice zing to it. ;-)

[@perigrine]

Great Tips,, what if you have a Hobo or drifter you want to get rid of? Of course remove any clothing , asking for a friend .

[@christinaoliveryoung6019]

Bwahahaha 😹

[@tobi475]

i didn't know that thank you for the information

[@marygray8294]

What about eggshells and coffee grounds? I thought they were compost staples.

[@Hannahcode1]

Egg shells are great and so is coffee grounds. However it has been reported that you should bake the egg shells to kill the bacteria they carry. It's easy enough, I always do. (:

[@gardenguychannel]

Yeah those are great for compost. The shells will take a while to break down and for coffee grounds you should mix them in really well with everything else. It speeds up decomposition.

[@janbawol411]

Please remember that when people are listening to your videos that some of us wear headphones and when you whistle it can blow our eardrums out. But enjoyed what you had to say. I have containers I layer leaves, scraps from vegetables, and soil. It breaks down surprisingly fast and brings lots of worms.

[@phylliscox9300]

Do You Have video showing what is in Your Compost Pile?

[@bfddt]

2021 was a bad year for my pecan harvested all bad pecans. i put them in 5 gallons cans. They are all dried up. can I crush them up and add them to my compose?

[@patburgard2115]

So if you have a burn pile, the tomato and diseased plants can go in there?

[@gardenguychannel]

I do like to add plants like that in there too. That's one other option. Good point.

[@sunshinewithin435]

Hi Sir. I asked on many vidoes but didnt receive a reply. I am new to composting and live in the tropics. I see this white fuzzy mold in my compost bin which has only veggie and fruits scraps. May i ask is that okay or should i throw it away ? Also how long would it take for these materials to become soil/! breakdown? I would very much appreciate a reply Sir. Many thanks.

[@evilbetty99]

Those are greens. You also need browns. 4 parts browns to 1 part greens. The browns are carbon, the greens are nitrogen. The resulting chemical reaction is what causes decompisition rather than rotting which sounds like what you are describing. Look up composting vids and focus on the materials. Hope this helps

[@zenaidsisic2762]

What about making garden under pine tree is it neccesarry bad.I asked that cause you mention walnut trees and harmfull effect of it

[@gardenguychannel]

Yes not the best place. Soil will be too acidic. But you could grow a blueberry orchard if it has plenty of light! Hope this helps!

[@jeannesmith9047]

I have 30 guards up here in Pennsylvania I use wood chips for them and works

[@alexanderhawk2659]

How about grass clippings from lawn, where you have been using Weed and Feed? Doesn't that bread down fairly fast?

[@gardenguychannel]

Yeah I would avoid using that grass that has been exposed for at least a year.

[@Lindseyro]

That is really some *BEAUTIFUL ☆🖤☆black ⭐🐝gold💛 soil!* 4real though!👌 AWESOME work you've done w/ it! I'm going on about 8 years now, that i have been slowly, but surely trying to amend all the soil / mud in my backyard working its way to that! (I can say, i do have thankfully "some" areas, that I'm very proud n grateful for in my garden. (Always an ongoing process til the very end)😃 I literally low key freak out, (sometimes even HIGH KEY 😡🤯🤬 🙈🙊😉), when anyone puts something in / on/ around my garden or lawn, that shouldn't be anywhere around. (Like any type of chemical stuff, nasty pesticides that kill off my worms and/ or beneficial bugs, etc etc... most of yall can get where 💁‍♀️I'm coming from right!? 🤷‍♀️ Anyway thank U for the sharing the extra knowledge, and I'm sending positive energy n vibes👉 yall way. 🙌🙏👈😊🍃🍀🌾

[@bdmenne]

I put all the viscera and hide from a harvested deer. Composted brilliantly. We have guard dogs and chickens that guard the piles. haha

[@mum500bc]

can I add rubber plant leaves to my compost?

[@charlesroberts3650]

Glossy magazines and other such paper products are printed with inks that contain heavy metals, such as cadmium. Also: "Glossy paper, particularly when used in magazines and catalogs, can contain toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS), which are often found in the inks used for printing, and are considered endocrine disruptors with potential health concerns related to reproductive and developmental issues; these chemicals are especially prevalent in thermal receipt paper which is a type of glossy paper". Paper towels: "White paper is bleached with chlorine to make it white, which introduces toxic chemicals into the paper, including chlorine and dioxin, which is carcinogenic. Cadmium is most likely to be found in glossy paper when certain types of red and yellow pigments containing cadmium compounds are used in the paper coating. Cadmium is a heavy metal considered toxic, and its presence in paper can be a concern for recycling and disposal due to potential environmental contamination.

[@paulschaefer5241]

Walnut wood and shells really is not a problem. the compound is produced by the roots of the tree and is the reason why you almost never see anythinhg growing under a walnut trees oaks are the same way for the same reason.

[@blackrocks8413]

very little science in his comments

[@jimrenderer6627]

What about alphalpha pellets? Would they be good for the compost pile or just an amendment to the garden just before planting, say in the fall for a spring garden ?

[@gardenguychannel]

Yes those would be GREAT compost material. They're a legume so high in nitrogen.

[@gardenguychannel]

You could also add them as a fertilizer about 2-3 weeks before planting if you want.

[@LadyFrayayt]

What aboit cooked veggies, cooked rice and onion scraps?

[@Mesoboy]

Can I compost rotten fruits such as oranges and lemons?

[@lofm6213]

Do the roots from that walnut tree negatively affect your garden? I heard that walnut trees shoot roots far out and "poison" the soil around them in order to out compete the surrounding folliage.

[@t.dig.2040]

Yes, although some plants can take it better than others.

[@MysticalLoveAndLight]

I have a question please. I have a lot of wild onions growing on the backside of my property and I am wondering since I’m going to be starting my compost soon right now I’m trying to learn as much as I can. It is going to be a covered compost could I pull up, those wild onions that grow in the yard and use them as part of the greens in the compost bin??? Nothing has ever been sprayed in my backyard. I’ve lived here for 16 years and they just grow wild so they’re free of any kind of man-made chemicals.

[@steveunderhill5935]

Make wild leek soup!

[@MysticalLoveAndLight]

@@steveunderhill5935 ok so those wild onions are actually called leek??? I didn’t know that… I’ll have to research a recipe unless you have one to share… Thank you 🙏 Blessings

[@user-te7zz8mv3x]

thanks for sharing! it’s great when you explain the underlying reasons.

[@andrewoxner2941]

as far as animal products, what if we are using a barrel and don't care about pests?

[@gardenguychannel]

Then compost all the animal products you can! Super great source of nitrogen.

[@عمرالصالح-خ8و]

Yes

[@jerrynunnery7147]

WHAT ABOUT A LIST OF THINGS GOOD TO USE, . THANKS

[@wrscv41]

Glossy magazine papers are shiny because they've been treated with corn or potato starch and pressed in a calendar stack. No plastic in there.

[@timpekarek9159]

True, though some boxes, such as those used for produce are coated with wax, which I assume would be hard to compost.

[@mommiedearest5337]

Nice video. I'm wondering, now, why I bought a compost bin if I can't put anything in it. 😅

[@bsod5608]

Look for the "red gardens - no rules compost". On this list i only agree with, glossy paper, synthetic clothing and motor oil. Everything else goes in my compost. Meat, cheese, veg. Oils, egg shells and lots of other stuff. If its organic origin - it goes in. Tomato and potato residues goes into my burn barre, before teting the ash into the cycle again.

[@mommiedearest5337]

@@bsod5608 ty 😊

[@lostpony4885]

It seems that black gold is made entirely of rainbows and sunshine then.

[@phyllisnewmeyer4613]

I may have missed something/1st time viewer; why are spent tomato plants non-compostable?

[@gardenguychannel]

Hey Phyllis! You just need to be careful not to use the used up tomato plants because they can carry diseases. I hope this helps!