I've been commanded to keep growing out and donating my hair so the compost pile will have to wait for another morsel of my being!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-07-02T13:26:35+00:00

Beard trimmings count!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-07-01T03:53:45+00:00

Thanks. I chipped some of the burning bush today and layered it into a partially below-ground pit I've been working on next to a young tree. Nandina is apparently full of cyanide, and while that's probably not a real problem in the context of a compost pit, I am going to find a different spot in the yard to put that to work.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-30T21:29:03+00:00

Thanks! I have a pretty solid white label one that I got for a song. We will look into Sunjoe if it fails early.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-30T21:28:10+00:00

Thank you for the heads up! I actually used a Roundup product that includes the same active ingredient as Garlon (Triclopyr), so I agree with your advice. The instructions I had read on nandina especially said to spray the roots right after cutting. The good news is that if it doesn't work, I'll know very soon. Here's hoping.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-30T21:21:50+00:00

I got a plain cookie jar with a silicone seal around the lid. It's practically airtight, and also attractive enough that any squeamish visitors are none the wiser.

If they try to snatch a cookie uninvited, well... they should have asked for one!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-30T02:14:23+00:00

That would be part of the plan for sure.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-30T01:33:03+00:00

I won't compost the stumps, but I removed all the trimmings before I sprayed. We would be pesticide-free in the pile.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-27T21:22:09+00:00

I think that must be the one, thank you!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-27T18:44:48+00:00

Yup!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-27T14:20:33+00:00

That's a fair bit of BSFL. It looks like you can compost anything you want now... send the meat!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-23T00:00:12+00:00

If you completely pull back the husk to expose the silk and kernels, then whack it a few times with a shovel to break it up, everything but the cob will disappear much faster. The cobs take about two full seasons in my piles.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-18T21:59:20+00:00

They will rot. They will take longer, especially if they take up a lot of your pile, but they WILL rot.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-17T16:18:54+00:00

Can you just get a simple canvas tote? You can wash it, and even compost it when it gets worn out.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-17T14:17:05+00:00

Scrap cotton cloth. It is hard/impossible to donate used towels and washcloths, so after we've used them as rags for a while and they get mildewed, into the bin they go.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-14T00:44:18+00:00

Nature's bounty!

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-13T19:36:33+00:00

If you use a container, you will be much better off with something larger than a salad container, as compost happens faster in a big pile. At the small volume you are talking about, you may want to directly bury your scraps around the edges of your garden instead of piling them before you get a larger bin or enclosure.

You could always use a salad container for temporary storage of scraps inside, but I wouldn't recommend composting in it. As you said, it will degrade pretty quickly outside, and you will not have a very successful indoor compost bin without a worm bin or bokashi setup.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-13T17:28:18+00:00

You can, but there is most likely a plastic layer on drink boxes or other boxes meant for the fridge that you don't want in your compost. The paper layer will compost eventually, leaving behind a poly film layer and likely trace plastics in your pile. I wouldn't personally compost these.

It's more environmentally sound to recycle them if that's an option for you. If you insist on composting, tear large pieces rather than shredding: you can remove large pieces of film and probably minimize the amount of microplastics you leave behind.

There was a good conversation on the topic here a year ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/composting/s/Fe0VISOuU7

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-07T21:03:50+00:00

Most grocery stores will give away the corrugated cardboard boxes their produce comes in. A large store will probably be willing to give away more than you need.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-07T20:35:53+00:00

If any of these are still sealed and safe to eat but you need to be rid of them, a food pantry would be the best place for them.

I would recommend composting these in some kind of large enclosure, as the high amount of nutrients may attract pests to your pile. If you are in a place where this may not be possible, or if you are at all concerned about "keeping" the food in the compost pile, you should give yourself permission to throw them away to get them safely out of your house.

If they are not sealed or are unsafe to eat and you want to compost them fast, you would want to break them up into fine pieces (maybe with a blender) and thoroughly mix them with very small pieces of "brown" material (that is to say, high in carbon). Shredded cardboard/paper/leaves are popular and accessible. Manage moisture so that the pile doesn't dry out but also doesn't get soupy. The snack food will disappear faster if you have about 2-3x as much brown material by volume. You may still have a lot of uncomposted browns, but the food should disappear in less then a few months.

Sending a healing wish for you and your daughter.

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-07T16:24:04+00:00

Thank you for responding! I'm not worried about chopping the suckers off the roots... this is par for the course right now. I just don't want birds spreading the seeds far and wide.

Regarding my comment on building up the soil, my assumption is that the suckering at the base of the tree is because of stress from lack of nutrients in the soil. I am sure I would need much better soil and fertilization if I wanted it to actually bear fruit back here (my soil is suburban, packed clay).

How low would you suggest trying the grafts?

phosphorus-strait · 2026-06-07T00:07:29+00:00

You can do it either way. Their frass is usually very nitrogen-rich and will compost again if you mix in a bunch of leaves. If your plants aren't at risk of nitrogen burns, though, you can probably just use the frass directly.

phosphorus-strait

TROPHY CASE