In a previous article I wrote about the many benefits of starting your own compost. The article was called “To Compost Or Not To Compost”. Although composting your kitchen scraps and adding freshly cut grass, and some dried leaves etc. are the ideal items to compost, there are some items that you should not add to your compost.
Some items added to your compost can stop the action of the items breaking down, and some items can kill the beneficial micro-organisms causing the decomposition of your compost. Some of these items that should not be added are probably the things that you have gone ahead and put into your compost.
The article below taken from Open Permaculture School website, talks about the 12 items that should not be added to your compost and explains why they should not be added.
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Tea and Coffee Bags
Coffee grounds and tealeaves definitively have a place in a permaculture garden. They are useful additions to the compost pile, adding generous amounts of phosphorous and potassium – two elements essential to plants – as well as to worm farms. However, coffee grounds and tealeaves must only be used in compost if they are “bag less.” The bags that some coffee and tea products come in do not break down rapidly in a permaculture compost pile, and can contain chemicals you don’t want in your soil.
Citrus Peel and Onions
While fruit and vegetables scraps from the kitchen are some of the fundamental inputs into a home compost pile, there are two exceptions: citrus peel and onions. The acidity in these can kill worms and other microorganisms, limiting the effectiveness of the decomposition.
Dog and Cat Droppings
Many types of manure make excellent additions to compost piles. Horse, cow, and chicken droppings, for example, will add nutrients and organic matter that will benefit the soil.
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The complete article can be seen at: Open Permaculture School