Guest Author - Terri Paajanen

Composting is an easy way to dispose of organic material without adding to your local landfill, not to mention it creates excellent mulch for your garden in the process. Some people are a little intimidated by composting becuase they are not sure what can or can't be used. Well, it's pretty simple. You may have heard about carbon- vs nitrogen-rich materials (also known as brown vs. green). Don't worry about that for now. Let's get the basics down first.

Good for Composting

• Yard waste (though grass clippings are good for your lawn if left in place)


• Vegetable ends, peelings, cores and other assorted parts. Fruit too.


• Coffee grounds and used filters, tea bags


• Nut shells


• Sawdust (from untreated wood)


• Newspaper


• Dryer lint (yes, really)


• Feathers, egg shells


• Bedding from small animals (rodents, rabbits)


• Manure from plant-eating animals (cows, horses, sheep, goats)

Bad for Composting

• Meat, fish, bones


• Cooking oils, lard


• Dairy products


• Any plants that are heavily infested with insects or disease


• Feces or other waste from carnivorous animals (cats, dogs, humans)