How to Grow More Vegetables : And Fruits, Nuts ... - Shroomery

46 COMPOST
Materials to Use Minimally or Not at All
If you need to use manures and/or less desirable materials
in your compost pile, they should make up only 1 ⁄ 6 of your
pile by volume so their less optimum effects will be minimized.
Some materials should not be used in the preparation of
compost, including
• Plants infected with a disease or a severe insect attack
where eggs could be preserved or where the insects
themselves could survive in spite of the compost
pile’s heat
• Poisonous plants, such as oleander, hemlock, and castor
beans, which harm soil life
• Plants that take too long to break down, such as
magnolia leaves
• Plants that have acids toxic to other plants and microbial
life, such as eucalyptus, California bay laurel, walnut,
juniper, acacia, and cypress
• Plants that may be too acidic or contain substances that
interfere with the decomposition process—such as pine
needles, which are extremely acidic and contain a form
of kerosene (However, special compost piles are often
made of acidic materials, such as pine needles and
leaves. This compost will lower the soil’s pH and stimulate
acid-loving plants like strawberries.)
• Ivy and succulents, which may not be killed in the heat
of the decomposition process and can regrow when the
compost is placed in a planting bed
• Pernicious weeds, such as wild morning glory and
Bermuda grass, which will probably not be killed in the
decomposition process and will choke out other plants
when they resprout after the compost is placed in a
planting
• Cat and dog manures, which can contain pathogens
harmful to infants. These pathogens are not always killed
in the heat of the compost pile
Plants infected with disease or insects and pernicious weeds
should be burned to be destroyed properly. Their ashes then
become good fertilizer. The ashes will also help control harmful
soil insects, such as carrot worms, which shy away from the
alkalinity of ashes. (Use ashes in moderate amounts.)
Parts of a regular compost pile that have not broken down
completely by the end of the composting period should be
placed at the bottom of a new pile. This is especially true for
twigs and small branches that can use the extra protection of
the pile’s height to speed up their decomposition in a situation
of increased warmth and moisture.