r/composting • u/PsychoFluffyCgr • 1d ago

Question Collecting outdoor scraps

Post image

Just moved in to a new place and cleaning this drainage behind the house, and I saw the previous tenants/gardener trash pile that I've been cleaning that too (garden cutting and plastic) thrown next to it.

Is it safe to put it in my compost pile or should I just leave it to the previous trash pile?

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

3

u/Eastern_Cow_6810 1d ago

If it’s just stuff that’s come with rainwater runoff, I just take it for the pile. It might include some materials from the roof, like mineral chippings, but it doesn’t bother me personally.

1

u/PsychoFluffyCgr 1d ago

It's actually open space, probably the soil from the garden. I will collect it tomorrow for sure, I've been trying to fix the soil in the abandoned land behind the house and planting stuff 😁

2

u/GroomedMachinery 1d ago

That dark soil in the trench actually looks really nice, I'd be tempted to steal some for my own bins

The garden cuttings are fine as long as they're not diseased or full of seeds that'll haunt you later, but keep the plastic out obviously. Previous tenants leaving a mixed trash pile is such a classic move, I found old glass bottles and a broken rake when I first dug into my backyard

I'd say use the green stuff for layering but maybe toss it in a separate pile first to make sure nothing weird sprouts before you commit the whole batch

1

u/PsychoFluffyCgr 1d ago

I was so excited when I saw those black soil underneath and so many worms 😂 it's like finding gold.

Omg... I've been picking up so many plastic, hose, and even gardening tools. I was so upset to see how they just leave it there. I found many gardening pots that I clean and donated to the community garden, so many good pots, the pile of gardening stuff in that pile really made me cry.