Beginner Composter - August 1st, 2006 at 11:54 AM
Hi everyone
I am slowly starting a compost pile in a metal trash can. I am doing home renovations and trying to clean up the backyard so I don't want to build anything yet.
One area that I am cleaning up is an area where we had a large dog pen. It is very much over grown with weeds and plants (maybe they're all weeds-don't really know). I have been pulling them up and raking them up with the old leaves there. I am wondering if all this stuff will be safe to put into my compost pile. On the ground, there is piles of old woodchips we put in the dog pen as well as some straw. I know we are not suppose to use pet feces, but are these woodchips okay? In the dogs current pen, the grass is forever growing. I have been trying to dig this up since it is too difficult to clean up after the dogs with the grass. Once I pull this grass out, it is okay to throw this in or should I avoid it?
Also, as I am cleaning it up I have noticed trash and have been pulling it out, but I am sure there is more that I haven't caught. WIll it be okay if this is in the pile and then pulled out as it is sifted?
I can't wait to get this area cleaned up-next year I plan to start my garden here using square foot gardening! I get more and more excited as I clean it up!!
I also had read that pet/people hair is okay for the compost pile. I vacuum a few times a week due to my shedding dogs. Is it always okay to dump this into the pile (I use the swiffer vacuum so it is easy to dump).
Thanks for your help!
Heidi
I am slowly starting a compost pile in a metal trash can. I am doing home renovations and trying to clean up the backyard so I don't want to build anything yet.
One area that I am cleaning up is an area where we had a large dog pen. It is very much over grown with weeds and plants (maybe they're all weeds-don't really know). I have been pulling them up and raking them up with the old leaves there. I am wondering if all this stuff will be safe to put into my compost pile. On the ground, there is piles of old woodchips we put in the dog pen as well as some straw. I know we are not suppose to use pet feces, but are these woodchips okay? In the dogs current pen, the grass is forever growing. I have been trying to dig this up since it is too difficult to clean up after the dogs with the grass. Once I pull this grass out, it is okay to throw this in or should I avoid it?
Also, as I am cleaning it up I have noticed trash and have been pulling it out, but I am sure there is more that I haven't caught. WIll it be okay if this is in the pile and then pulled out as it is sifted?
I can't wait to get this area cleaned up-next year I plan to start my garden here using square foot gardening! I get more and more excited as I clean it up!!
I also had read that pet/people hair is okay for the compost pile. I vacuum a few times a week due to my shedding dogs. Is it always okay to dump this into the pile (I use the swiffer vacuum so it is easy to dump).
Thanks for your help!
Heidi