- grain chaff and hulls
- Carbon (80:1). Compost in compost pile.
Return to List of Compost Ingredients - grapefruit
- Nitrogen. Compost in soil ingestor. Also, may compost in worm bin, but don't overload the bin with citrus peels. See Food Wastes.
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- grass clippings
- Nitrogen (when fresh). (12 - 19:1) is an average ratio. If the lawn was not well-watered or has turned brown, there will be far less nitrogen than that freshly cut from a green, healthy lawn.
Compost in backyard pile if artificial pesticides and fertilizers have not been used.
Return to List of Compost Ingredients - grease
- Do not compost.
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- greeting card
- Rather than throw out those old Christmas, Birthday, or other Occasion Cards, cut off the front of the cards and ask your local Schools and Sunday Schools, or any other young children's group if they can use them for crafts. Return to List of Compost Ingredients
H
- hair
- Nitrogen. Compost in pile, but only as a small percentage of the pile. Dog and cat hair seem to compost faster than human hair. Put in very thin layers and cut up as much as possible first. Mix thoroghly with other materials so that it doesn't mat.
Warning: some composters report trouble composting hair, so try a small amount first to see how it works for you! Return to List of Compost Ingredients - hay
- Carbon. Compost in backyard pile. Because of seeds present, you may want to put this is a pile which will be used to amend the soil where hay will be replanted. Also OK in pile if spoiled. Some recommend hay as a mulch, but it can be a fire hazard if there is a source of ignition nearby.
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- holly leaves
- Carbon. Compost in backyard "slow-compost bin". This is a good use for a tumbler if you have one because you can avoid getting pricked during turning. Shred first if possible. Also, makes a good mulch, shredding is a plus.
With regard to using holly leaves as mulch, consider the following advice from Deborah in Portland OR. She raises a very good point -- if you have kids playing on the lawn, you may take a different action than if you are trying to keep a pet out of your ornamentals!
I grew up on land that used to be an ornamental holly farm....have you ever stepped on an old holly leaf?? OUCH!! Because of those leaves, we kids NEVER went barefoot. From my personal experience, I'd suggest composting the leaves, not using them as mulch where you could come in contact with those pointy little edges!
An excellent point! (no pun intended) Return to List of Compost Ingredients - houseplants
- Nitrogen. Compost in backyard compost pile.
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I
- insect-ridden plants
- Compost in soil ingestor. Do not compost in a pile. Unless the material is located in the hot center of an active pile, the insects may survive and be transferred back to your plants with finished compost.
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- ivy
- Do not compost. Behaves like an invasive weed. See Weeds.
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J
- junk mail
- You may include junk mail in your worm bin. To stop junk mail from being delivered to your mailbox you may write to: Junk Mail Stop!, Mail Preference - Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
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K
- kitty litter
- Do not compost in pile. See Cat Feces. Pregnant women and children should not handle kitty litter at all. If litter is biodegradable and you are determined to compost it, see instructions for the Soil Ingestion method, wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly.
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