Sunday, December 03, 2006

Compost the turkey oil?

Compost the turkey oil?

Composting requires green vegetative material as a nitrogen source, dried plant matter to supply carbon and some soil, water, air and microorganisms. Mixing all the ingredients in the right proportion produces a rich, crumbly end product called humus. Composting is a great way to recycle leaves, stems and clippings from the yard. Vegetable refuse from the house, including vegetable peelings, melon rinds, fruit skins and cores, and houseplant trimmings can also be composted. Tea bags and coffee grounds and filters are excellent additions to the compost pile. Although meat and fish products can be composted, they break down very slowly. They smell bad and can attract a number of pests, including coyotes, dogs, cats, skunks, bears and rodents. Meat and fish bits can contaminate the compost pile with disease organisms. For these reasons, avoid composting all bones, fats, greases and oils, including the oil used to fry the turkey.