Composting Basics Peoria IL

Compost is the rich, dark-brown humus produced during the natural decay of organic matter. You can make compost without spending a dime. Use compost to improve the texture and structure of your soil and to increase its water holding capacity. Spread compost on your lawn and around your trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. Use it in place of commercial fertilizers and soil amendments to stimulate healthy root development and increase soil fertility. You can compost almost any organic matter—with some limitations. This list gets you started.

Yard Compost

Add a balanced mix of both green matter, including leaves, green stems, and grass clippings, and brown matter, including dead leaves, shredded twigs, brown stems, and roots to your compost.

• Dead leaves from trees and shrubs
• Dry plants from the vegetable garden
• Pulled weeds, without seeds
• Dead flowers, without thorns
• Small twigs and broken branches
• Wood chips and sawdust
• Grass clippings
• Straw and hay
• Dried alfalfa
• Corn stalks and husks
• Pine cones and needles in small amounts
• Wood ashes from a wood burning stove or fireplace
• Seaweed, rinsed
• Manure from bats, sheep, ducks, goats, cows, pigeons, and any other vegetarian animals

Kitchen Compost

Almost everything that cycles through your kitchen is a candidate for the compost pile. Instead of throwing it away or washing it down the drain, put it in your garden.

• Melon rinds
• Carrot peelings
• Potato skins
• Celery leaves
• Cherry pits
• Nut shells
• Overripe fruits and vegetables
• Leftover fruits and vegetables
• Tea bags
• Apple cores
• Egg shells, crushed
• Banana peels
• Newspaper and cardboard, torn into small pieces
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Corn cobs
• Hair clippings—really!

What Not to Compost

Don’t add materials that take years to decompose, have toxic compounds, or that draw pests.

• Plastic bags
• Hard plastic
• Polystyrene insulation
• Manmade fibers
• Foam
• Metal
• Pet droppings, including birds, cats, and dogs
• Dead animals
• Meat products
• Glossy advertisements
• Fish scraps
• Large amounts of nuts, grains, and flours
• Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
• High-fat foods such as salad dressing and peanut butter
• Leaves from oak, southern magnolia, and holly trees
• Any parts of the black walnut tree
• Eucalyptus leaves
• Poison oak, poison ivy, and sumac
• Coal and charcoal briquette ashes
• Weeds with persistent root systems
• Weeds that are going to seed

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