Bindweed and?

[JeremyinCzechRep]

What else DON'T you put in your compost?

[MKG]

Any perennial weed roots (dock, and particularly nettle). Oh, and any part of a potato tuber - they love it in there and you often get a crop of very small potatoes from a compost heap.

Mike

[JeremyinCzechRep]

Gulp, I've put loads of nettle in mine - presuming it would get hot enough to kill them.

[MKG]

Nettle's OK, Jeremy - just not the root. It MIGHT get hot enough to kill them, but I'd say it's unlikely. You'll know when it comes to turning the compost out. If the heat didn't get 'em, they'll have pushed out long white runners. It's relatively easy to sieve out - just a bit of a "smack your own head" time.

Mike

[JeremyinCzechRep]

Thanks for that - Looking on the bright side - I can look forward to a lot of nettle soup next year... :-)

[gregorach]

I keep my compost covered and fairly well contained, so anything in there (with two exceptions) should die from lack of light. Mind you, my main composting area is heavily besieged by nettles anyway. (I'm deliberately not getting rid of them as having a good nitrogen source right there seems to make sense. And when I say "deliberately", I mean I can't be bothered, but this is the excuse I'll give to anyone who asks... )

The ones that are so invasive that even that isn't safe are bindweed and equisetum.

I got a great crop of tatties from the (uncovered) manure heap last year...