What can go in the compost? This question keeps compost heap owners busy. Here you will find the answers to all questions.
Not only when creating a compost heap do you have to pay attention to a few things, but also when composting itself. What can go in the compost? Leftover food and green waste are biodegradable, but don't necessarily belong in the compost heap.
» A little tip:
You can recognize a good compost heap by the fact that it does not smell musty or unpleasant, but a scent of the forest has.
This doesn't belong in the compost!
➔ Food leftovers or meat generally do not belong on the compost heap. In many cases, they rot poorly and, moreover, this attracts vermin very quickly. Everything that is left over after eating, as well as expired food, belongs in the bio bin and not on the compost heap.
➔ Plants and crops that are past their prime can be composted normally. However, if the plants are sick, for example due to fungal infestation, they have no place in the compost.
➔ Since it takes some time for the "waste" on the compost heap to become valuable fertilizer, large clippings and branches do not belong in the compost. These just rot far too slowly.
➔ Sprayed fruit, especially lemons, tangerines and oranges from the supermarket, also have no place in the compost. The chemicals used would seep into the compost and be counterproductive to the valuable organic fertilizer.
What can go on the compost?
First the good news, it can be composted all year round. Almost all waste, apart from the ones mentioned above, can be composted. Particularly suitable are:
- Raw vegetables and their skins
- Egg and potato skins
- Plant residues / cut flowers (without disease)
- Dried grass clippings (if the risk of mold is too damp)
- Tea and coffee leftovers including filter
- Green cuttings from bushes, trees and dead plants (not too thick)
Tip for particularly nutrient-rich compost
You can further improve the quality of the compost by adding horse manure. That's how it will benatural fertility of the resulting garden fertilizer is increased. Cat or rabbit litter only belongs in the compost to a limited extent, namely when it is explicitly declared “compostable” on the packaging.
Compost contains important nutrients in bound form that plants are only too happy to absorb. A layer of mulch on the future soil protects against environmental influences.
It is also important that the compost gets enough moisture and is sufficiently aerated. This is the only way to get good soil later on. The composted soil has an invigorating effect on the plants and promotes their growth.