The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on April 24, 2015, 01:42:53 am
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just wondering if there are concerns about putting shop bought veg in compost heap.
for instance -
mainly thinking of onion peelings, is there any chance of introducing white rot? wondering if growers can use some nasty chemicals which would keep it under control but it's still there to spread in my garden.
also brassica problems etc
Once went to a talk where the speaker sounded like he was dead against putting even shop bought flowers in his compost heap.
Any thoughts Please?
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I never put bits of onion or onion skins, even those I've grown, into my compost heap. There are unlikely to be 'hidden' diseases in otherwise clean-looking veg. Brassica problems are from the roots, so putting old cut cabbages on etc wouldn't carry a risk. So I would say that as long as you don't put anything diseased onto the heap, homegrown or bought, you are ok from that point of view. Make sure your heap gets up to a good temp during the rotting.
For chemicals, you have to make the choice. Most would say that chemicals will break down over time in the composting process, although what they break down into is worth considering (no idea how you find that out). My view is that if I am prepared to eat the veg itself then it's ok on the heap. If I'm not happy with how it's been grown then I wouldn't buy it anyway.
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Thanks Fleecewife
firstly curious to know why you never put onion skins on compost heap?
OH had brought a sackful 'reduced' so we had used a few and it made me wonder about bringing problems in. I think one or 2 were a bit soft from storage.
doesn't normally bother me, but it did just cross my mind chemicals could hold the fungal infections etc in limbo.
I'd put them down the waste disposal anyway :)
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Garden Organic, a leading organic gardening association, say that the chemicals will break down and become harmless in time.
Apparently worms don't much like onion skin or citrus fruits so you should be sparing in how much you include on your compost heap. I avoid putting any in. I like to keep my worms happy.
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When you realise what crud is in the air 24/7 putting any veg or fruit peelings in the compost heap is minuscule.
I've yet to find a wholly grown out doors crop that is free of any chemical contaminant that comes in on the wind or down with the rain drops.
All our kitchen waste goes in to the composters ... fresh, cooked, veg, fruit or meat along with torn up paper , corrugated and flat cardboard as well as all the fluff out the vacuum cleaner as it's full of skin scales and hair from humans and the dog plus all the usual garden waste .. .pernicious weeds get put in a light proof lidded black dustbin that's half full of water and the lid put back on after four weeks the weds are so far rotted through non of then can survive . every now & then the foetid anaerobic liquid is diluted 50 /50 with water out the hose pipe to put a bit of air in it & then poured in to the fullest of the composting bins to give the contents a bit more " body" .
This dark rotting smelly gunge then gets lifted out on a grass spring back rake and deposited in the composters as does any excess weeds from our pond .
I have zillions of muck worms happily chewing their way through all seven of my lidded plastic local authority purchased Dalek composters .
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Thanks all, I did in the end decide to put the onion skins down waste disposal, there isn't usualy much for the comost heap, cat, dogs, hens, geese, goats get first pick, not much left after that ;D .
When you realise what crud is in the air 24/7 putting any veg or fruit peelings in the compost heap is minuscule.
Good point, I like to think where we live, fairly high above local towns etc, is relatively clear, but as someone pointed out we are SE of Sellafield (is it still called that?), anyway when I do go down into town, as little as possible, I can smell the fumes, or in the car I'm always closing the vent off because I can smell fumes from vehicle in front, I like my high hillside home :-)
As to roots I worked out a few years ago dunking perrenial weeds is the way to go, don't see it recommended on programmes, a friend takes her nettle roots etc down to the tip, says I'm just making work for myself, I'll work that one out one day ???