[Novice]

Hi Folks - Can I put rhubarb leaves and potato tops onto my compost heap ?
Thanks

[Eristic]

All leaves can be composted without harm. Bear in mind though, that if the potatoes have had blight, then the foliage ought to be burnt instead.

[iamnew]

Hi i searched on the net about this and read on a compost making site that you can't put rhubarb leaves in the compost bin. They go on my weed pile for burning now. Best to be safe then sorry!!

[Oliver]

My humans put everything except plants with seeds, plants with disease, perennial roots and cooked food on the compost heap. So far (35 years) they have not had rats (shudder - they would probably expect me to catch them) and their compost works a treat.

One year he won the prize for best compost at the local show!  

[GrannieAnnie]

Now, one of my books says it is okay to put rhubarb leaves on the compost, yet another says that the only place you can put rhubarb leaves is around your rhubarb to act as a compost and mulch for them!!!???

[John]

I reckon you can but nearly anything into the compost heap so long as there isn't a huge amount of it. Good idea to avoid diseased plants / blighted potato haulm etc but even here I'm not 100% sure it matters. You see diseases will be around anyway so composting may not make much difference, having said that - some things like white rot and club root you don't want to spread around.

[supersprout]

I had white rot (onions) for the first time this year, and took advice from the veterans on my plot, burned them and kept them out of the compost. Rusty leek tops go in though!

[Beanzie]

I must admit that I'll compost everything on the plot with the exception of anything that looks diseased (especially smelly onions). However,with stuff like couch, dandelions, docks, old potatoes I'll put them in an old compost bag (you know the thick plastic type with the black interior) and leave all summer. I always fold over and cover with a brick to exclude light and water.

When I build a new heap I tend to bury the contents of these bags which after a couple of months turn into a sludgy mush at the bottom. I've been doing this for years without any adverse results and I'm sure that some of these "weeds" are very rich in minerals and nutrients which I don't want to waste.