Meat and Fish Scraps That Turn Your Pile Toxic
You’d think throwing last night’s leftover chicken into the compost would be helping the environment, right? Think again. Dairy and meat may be hosts for harmful bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. These pathogens don’t just disappear when they hit your compost pile – they actually thrive there.
Raw meat also could be infected with E.coli or salmonella, which would allow bacteria to spread to crops that touch the compost. What’s worse, Rotting meat and fish smells bad! And anything that stinks will attract unwanted pests, like raccoons, rodents, and maggots. Your well-intentioned composting suddenly becomes a breeding ground for disease and a magnet for every pest in the neighborhood.
Dairy Products Creating Anaerobic Nightmares
That moldy cheese lurking in your fridge might seem like perfect compost material, but it’s actually one of the worst things you can add to your pile. As dairy products break down and ferment, they’ll also start to smell. Like REALLY smell. Like rotten eggs and sour milk smell! Which pests and scavengers love.
But the smell is just the beginning of your problems. And they can cause the food scraps to clump together, creating anaerobic digestion, which results in foul smells. Anaerobic composting also generates much more methane than aerobic composting. In enclosed, large-scale facilities this biogas can be captured and used as an energy source, but in the case of backyard composting the harmful greenhouse gas simply escapes into the atmosphere. So much for helping the environment!
Cooked Rice – The Bacteria Breeding Paradise
Here’s something that’ll shock you: that innocent bowl of leftover rice is actually a ticking time bomb in your compost. Cooked rice is especially notorious for growing bad bacteria in a compost pile. Unlike raw rice, which simply attracts pests, cooked rice creates the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to multiply.
Raw rice is attractive to pests, while cooked rice is fertile ground for bacteria, potentially harmful to the compost’s nutrients. The moisture and starch content in cooked rice provides everything dangerous bacteria need to flourish. No rice or freshly baked bread products, especially confections with glazes or high sugar content. Both breed harmful bacteria and attract rodents.
Citrus Peels – Silent Worm Killers
Those orange and lemon peels you’ve been tossing in might look harmless, but they’re actually committing mass murder in your compost pile. Unfortunately, the natural chemicals and acidity in citrus peels and onions can kill worms and other microorganisms, which can slow down the decomposition in your pile.
The problem goes deeper than just killing beneficial organisms. Some fruits and vegetables that you should compost with caution are those with high acidities, such as citrus fruits, pickles, and tomatoes. The acid content of these foods can kill the good bacteria in your compost pile and slow down its decomposition. Without these crucial microorganisms, your compost pile basically becomes a rotting mess instead of the nutrient-rich soil amendment you’re hoping for.
Black Walnut Parts – Nature’s Chemical Warfare
Black walnuts might be delicious, but every part of the black walnut tree is basically conducting chemical warfare against other plants. Avoid Oleander leaves and anything from the black walnut tree (including walnuts themselves), which contains juglone, a naturally toxic compound for plants.
They contain juglone, a natural aromatic compound considered toxic to plant life. This isn’t just about the nuts themselves – the leaves, bark, and roots all contain this poison. When you add these materials to your compost, you’re essentially creating a toxic environment that can kill the plants you’re trying to nourish. Most nuts are okay, but walnuts contain a compound called juglone which is toxic to some plants.
