[Ma Lowe]

what household things can go in there are there any fruit and veg that cant go in, I have heard people say they put weeds in there too is that right and if so  which ones.
If you can let me know anything that is ok to go in a compost bin please as I have 5 of the to fill Well one is for manure and 2 are moving the stuff out of the other two.

Ma x

[surbie100]

I've got 3 dalek bins now, plus 3 bins for leaves. 2 of the daleks are for manure/chicken muck, the other for greens - and I struggle to keep them filled as they cook down so quickly!

I do put annual weeds in, as long as they aren't flowering. I don't put cooked food, or any fish, meat, dairy in them. And the veg peelings are mixed with shredded paper. The reason being that we have a rat issue in compost bins with food in. I'd rather not have them in there, so that lot of compostables goes in the council green bin.

[JayG]

It's often said that anything containing organic material can be composted, which is true, although you are asking for trouble from vermin if you include any animal remains unless you are using special equipment.

Weeds can certainly be composted, but perennial weeds with robust roots (especially couch, dandelions and the like) and marestail, which has built-in rot-resistance, are best avoided in the average domestic heap.

Best too to avoid composting even annual weeds if they have gone to seed (and that includes grass mowings) unless you are confident you can build a heap hot enough to kill the seeds.

[Ma Lowe]

That's great. What about potatoe peelings. I ask because we put some in a trench under our runner beans one year and they grew leaves from the peelings. 

[mumofstig]

All the raw veg and fruit waste goes in mine - I wrap it up in a few sheets of newspaper to help with the green/brown mix.

I also add plain (not shiny coated) cardboard after it's been torn into pieces and well wetted 

List of browns and greens here

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

[JayG]

Others sometimes mention their spud peelings sprouting too, and there are even tales about how people used them deliberately to grow spuds from during the war because everything was in short supply.

I use a veg peeler and it's never happened to me as far as I know - I wonder whether it happens more often to those using a knife, which potentially takes off much thicker slices which are therefore more likely to contain viable pieces of 'eye'. 

[Ma Lowe]

Others sometimes mention their spud peelings sprouting too, and there are even tales about how people used them deliberately to grow spuds from during the war because everything was in short supply.

I use a veg peeler and it's never happened to me as far as I know - I wonder whether it happens more often to those using a knife, which potentially takes off much thicker slices which are therefore more likely to contain viable pieces of 'eye'. 

That's probably it JayG I use a knife and as thin as try to peel it's still thicker than a peeler.  Better get me a peeler then although I have had this knife for over 20 years.
K
Mumofstig thank you for the link will take a good look at that.

Edited to say. I am typing this from my plot no rest for the wicked 

[beesrus]

I avoid the potato peelings, and onion peelings if I know they've had white rot. I use dried grass clippings along with leaves and green waste apart from the thick stalks from sweet corn/sprouts etc. The most important bit for me is a few small layers of manure saved from the Autumn blitz.

I would love a decent shredder. Would be compost heaven.

[3759allen]

i put everything raw vegetable waste wise. cut stalks up to help break down. tea and coffee grounds (not the bag from the tea). add the odd bit of manure, but don't bother with leaves (they go in a leaf mulch pile to rot down separate).

personally i don't bother with any weeds as i can't be bothered to find out with ones can and can't (i'll prob get it wrong and end up with an weed infested compost).

also make sure it's moist enough in there, if on the dry side then and some water every now and again.

[diospyros]

I've got a shredder tra la la have had it for years but sort of forgot about it/thought it didn't work.  So now I can put in quite woody stuff that used to go in the green wheelie bin.  I put hoover emptyings in, hair from hair cuts, various bits of paper/card like toilet roll tubes, receipts and eggboxes that go in the bottom of the caddy in the kitchen to soak up the juice.  I put manure in to rot down and stabilise the nutrients.  I put weeds in too, if they regrow I'll just weed them up again!

I favour filling the bin right up then leaving it alone until the level has gone right down.  I can do that now, I've got five bins and a composting cube in reserve!

Silly grumpy man at work was saying "you shouldn't put citrus in, it doesn't rot down"  everything rots down eventually.

The leaves I collected in the autumn went straight on the plot as a mulch - has worked really well.  The only weeds that have struggled through are buttercups docks and dandelions and I am just spot weeding them out easy as wink.

[JayG]

Worms really don't like material from citrus fruits and onions (don't know why - makes a great sandwich!  )

Worms don't do all the work in a compost heap by any means, but probably best not to go overboard on either of those two items if you want to keep them happy.

[LilacSandy]

I even get my dad to save his peelings etc for me, I have even found myself taking home a banana skin I had at work to put in my composting bin, how sad is that.

[Yorkie]

Beesrus makes a good point - if you've got infected plants, don't add them to the compost heap.

[barley]

I put in everything that will rot except dog poo and any meat product waste 

[LilacSandy]

Infected plants will contaminate your heap, white rot takes about 15 yrs to die off so you do not want to be spreading it about your plot.  Saying that I compost anything and everything as long as it is healthy.