Composting: lesser-known items worth remembering

SAN DIEGO – Garden compost can be a good friend. Compost promotes soil health and enables plants grow to their best ability. Many home gardeners prefer to make their own compost. It is easily achieved with items that normally would be discarded, including many items that ardent gardeners may be unaware of.

Common compost materials

Items like eggshells, banana peels, apple cores, paper, leaves, and coffee grounds are often included in a home compost pile. These items break down by natural bacteria and produce a rich fertilizer for plants.

Lesser-known compost materials

There are many things that can be turned into compost. Here’s a list of common items that can be turned into compost and avoid the landfill.

• Pet hair

• Paper napkins

• Lint

• Pine needles

• Matches

• Chicken manure

• Old herbs

• Sawdust

• Weeds

• Hair clippings

• Tea bags

• Paper towels

• Bird cage cleanings

• Stale bread

• Leather

• Old pasta

• Pea vines

• Grapefruit rinds

• Newspapers

• Tissues

• Cotton swabs with

paper sticks

• Dried out bouquets

• Potato chips

• Yogurt

• Shrimp shells

• Toenail clippings

• Pie crust

• Toothpicks (wood)

• Tossed salad

• Old beer

• Feathers

• Fish bones

• Envelopes

• Cardboard

• Pencil shavings

• Grocery receipts

• Dead insects

• Wool socks

• Pickles

• Dust bunnies

• Toast

• Chocolate cookies

• Oatmeal

• Tofu

• Spoiled wine

• Straw

• Nut shells