Ginger is a wonderful, pungent, healthy plant that works well in several recipes. Sometimes you have a bit too much ginger, or perhaps you grow it, and some of the plants didn’t grow well. Can you compost ginger? Let’s take a look at that.
Ginger is very similar to onions or garlic when it comes to compost. They are all plants with strong odors and makeup that have some considerations when it comes to composting them.
Can You Compost Ginger?
Yes, you can compost ginger in a regular compost pile. The odor may cause a smell in your compost pile for a while. This smell may attract pests, like rats and mice. This is one reason to add ginger to your compost pile in moderation and to add it to the middle of your compost pile.
Ginger is very fibrous or woody. This means that it has tough makeup that can take some time to break down. This is something to remember when you’re composting ginger or getting ready to compost ginger.
Composting Ginger with Worms
If you use worms for composting, called vermicomposting, you want to be careful composting ginger. Like onions and garlic, worms don’t care much for ginger. You can add it to your worm bin, but add it in moderation, and don’t expect it to compost quickly.
You may want to experiment with just a small amount first.
Can You Compost Ginger Peels?
Much like onion skins, you are generally safe to add ginger peels to your compost pile. You still want them in smaller pieces but they will break down faster and don’t tend to have the same smell as the root.
Worms don’t mind them as much, either. Again, moderation is a key, and you can test them first, but generally, you are safe to add ginger peels to compost.
How Do You Compost Ginger?
You can compost ginger using procedures that are very similar to most things that you compost.
Because of its fibrous makeup, smaller pieces are particularly helpful when you compost. Cutting your ginger up into small pieces will help to speed up the time it takes for it to compost.
Spread it throughout the middle of your compost and add it in moderation into your compost pile, especially if you use worms to compost. In that case, add it in smaller amounts over a longer period of time. Adding it to the middle of the pile helps to cover up the smell so that rodents and other animals don’t smell it.
Another way to help keep the smell down is to let your ginger dry out before adding it to the compost.
Make sure to regularly turn your compost pile to keep it warm. This will speed up the time it takes for the ginger to compost which will keep the smell down.
Can I Add Ginger to Compost
You can add ginger to compost, which will help provide nutrients that are really beneficial to your plants. If you are using worms for composting, add it in smaller amounts but don’t add a lot either way.
Make sure to cut the ginger up to help speed up the time that it takes to compost.
The ginger smell can attract pests that can make a real mess of your compost. Cut up to the middle of your compost pile; smaller amounts should help with this.
The hassles of ginger: the smell, the time it takes to break down, and worms not liking it are all reasons that some composters avoid foods like ginger altogether.
Ginger is organic, so you can compost it, and it will compost, but you want to add smaller amounts to the middle of your pile and make sure you cut them up. It’s even better if you let the ginger dry out first before you add ginger to your compost pile.