What goes in your compost bin?

[Notinmylifethyme]

I put in the usual, grass cuttings, leaves, cardboard, veg peelings, etc, but I've never put in weeds, roots, ivy or the odd bramble that's appeared in the garden. Am I wrong? It would make my life easier to do so.

So, does anyone put the whole lot in with no ill effects? Or should I continue making that annoying trip to the tip?

I currently have 2 bins which I fill / empty alternate years, but am thinking of getting another if I add more garden waste to them.

I never put weeds or ivy in, I don’t want to be then spreading them all around the garden when I use my compost. We do have a (paid for) council collection of garden waste though so I put things like that in there. Big stuff such as branches, or if I’ve a lot due to hedge cutting, I have to take to the recycling centre.

You're correct I think. Cold composting (like a domestic pile) doesn't kill off weeds whereas hot composting (like at a dump) will.

Edited to say, we also have garden waste collection but still need to do trips to the dump with garden waste if I've been particularly fierce pruning when they aren't collecting.

It depends on the weeds. Annuals that haven't set seed: I put in the compost. Perennials (eg ivy, bramble, dandelion, etc): not in the compost - if large quantities then I collect them in a rubble bag and, every now and then, take to the tip; if small quantities then I put in the grey wheelie bin.

I don’t put prickly things in, so no bramble, hawthorn, rose or pyracantha. Or ivy because I don’t trust it. Annual weeds are fine. Brambles would be fine if you get them early, as young shoots. Or prickly stuff if you shred it first.

Roots ok if you let them dry out in the sun till they shrivel.

By “cardboard” I take you mean also toilet roll centres, tissues, egg boxes, paper that’s been round food?

I put everything I can in because I don’t buy compost for the garden, so I can’t afford to lose nutrients by taken them to-the tip. But I can’t be bothered to shred prickly stuff, so I try to make up for it by the other stuff I put on.

Three bins is great because the middle one matures. So by the time you come to empty it, more of it has rotted.

Same as Meredint nothing prickly because I always end up picking over the compost by hand to remove plastic (however careful I am it gets in) and I don't want to shred my fingers on rose thorns.

Weeds that haven't set seed go straight in compost. Anything that might be prolific like ivy, nettles, dandelion etc I soak in a bucket of water until absolutely disintegrated and use the water as a plant food.

No weeds go in.

Egg shells
Egg cartons
Dead flowers
Coffee grinds
Cooked rice
Cooked pasta
Tea bags and loose
Hair from your hairbrush
Drier lint
Dead houseplants and their soil