Things You Shouldn't Put in a Compost Bin

Composting is a wonderful way to recycle what you use and turn it into wonderful plant food and soil. Some of the best gardens are achieved from this simple way of producing "black gold". There is a tremendous amount of items that can go in your basic compost pile or mechanical composter, however there are some items that are huge no-no's. Some of these aren't so obvious and some are common sense. Not all "trash" items belong in a compost, but most assume that any plant or living item can, which isn't the case.

Acidic items like citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes and tomato products, pickles, orange juice, etc. shouldn't be used in a compost pile. These items can kill the bacteria that a compost pile accumulates over the course of the breakdown. Never put items in that will mess around with the pH of the pile.

Some plants aren't good to put into a compost pile. Plants that are diseased, varieties that are invasive, or weeds that have gone to seed aren't a good mix for the compost. The heat radiated throughout the pile may not reach temperatures that will kill the weeds or the disease and thus infect other plants or put new weeds in your garden.

Although biodegradable, cooked vegetables, meat, dairy items, bones, fish, bread, and grains, should not be put into a compost pile. These items will produce odor and will attract night time critters to your pile. Compost, even while decomposing, shouldn't have a bad odor, and if it does it could be from what you're putting into it.

Other no-no items include dog and cat feces, cat litter, and human feces. While other animal feces is fine, these produce gases that negate the favorable conditions that a compost heap should have.

Colored paper, glossy paper, pressure treated and chemically enhanced wood and wood items, dyed human hair are the final things I will cover. These all have chemical in them that shouldn't be broken down to reuse in a garden setting.