The waste on the straw will break down in a well maintained compost pile. It is okay to use this if the animal is an herbivore. If you have pets, you may have soiled straw from the animal’s bedding. Making compost from straw alone is not recommended, as it will not break down quickly enough without nitrogen and can result in a moldy mess. It will release carbon for a healthy compost situation. You can add to compost with toilet paper rolls, Q-tips, newspaper, and other dry items. It also comes from fruits like tomatoes or peaches. Nitrogen comes from vegetative items such as lettuce, beans, and kale. Most of us are aware of the basics of compost making, but can you compost straw? You need a nice balance of nitrogen and carbon for a sweet smelling, dark, loosely textured finished product.

Can you compost straw? It is the basis of mushroom compost and will also turn your mixture into a nicely textured soil. It is a great way to reduce waste and return nutrients back to your soil. Using up organic odds and ends in a compost pile will result in some lovely, rich medium. Kitchen scraps are always a winner, but you may wonder, “can I compost straw?” Using straw in compost is a great way to increase carbon and keep a balanced compost pile. All you have to do is follow a few rules regarding what to put in your compost, as well as temperature and moisture levels. I’m all for responsible usage and would never promote flagrant waste.Compost is one of those free gardening items that you can make yourself. Again, please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I come from a little town where we almost completely depend on the forestry industry and I work for a state forestry organization, so this is one of the issues I hold close to heart. However, when you are purchasing products made from trees, you’re also helping to support a part of an overall agriculture industry. It also reduces wildfire hazard too!) YES, there are instances where trees that should not be cut down are used for products, I’m sure. However, when they come from those forests, they should adhere to Better Land Management Practices (healthy forests should not be overpopulated or overgrown, so some thinning of trees is a good thing. OR they come from national or state forests. The trees that are used to make these types of products come from farms (so it’s like a cash crop). MANY MANY MANY products come from timber which is grown and sold for these purposes. YES, its good to reduce waste, but I think it’s best to focus your major recycling/reusing/reducing efforts on those non-renewable non-biodegradable things. Just to play devils advocate, do remember that trees ARE a renewable resource.

Seedlings toilet paper rolls moldy