Trout Brook Landscaping - February 2021

Does This Belong in the Heap? A Few Things You Shouldn’t Ever Compost

TREATED YARD TRIMMINGS AND DISEASED PLANTS

So, you want to start composting? Good! Composting is a great way to save food scraps from rotting in a landfill and instead put them to use fertilizing gardens and flowerbeds. However, not every kind of organic matter is good for composting, and putting something in your compost that doesn’t belong can ruin your garden rather than revive it. Here are a few things to avoid composting for the reasons laid out below.

If your lawn or plants have been treated with pesticides, those chemicals can potentially kill the microorganisms that make compost so valuable in the first place. At the same time, keep plants that were killed by disease or insects clear of your compost pile. Whatever killed them might spread throughout your compost, rendering it useless.

COAL AND CHARCOAL ASH

While ashes from a wood-burning fireplace may benefit the soil by maintaining its neutral condition and adding some nutrients, charcoal ash from a grill will not benefit compost in this way. Charcoal may contain chemical residue that is harmful to plants, so it’s better to just stick with wood ash instead. Composting is easy, good for the environment, and can even be fun! But if you’re not sure whether something belongs in the compost pile or not, it never hurts to check before you throw it in.

MEATS, DAIRY PRODUCTS, GREASES, AND OILS

PET (OR HUMAN) WASTE

While biodegradable, meats and dairy don’t smell great when they’re decomposing, and they can attract unwanted pests, like raccoons, to your compost bin. Greasy foods similarly attract pests as well as mess with the moisture balance necessary for compost to decompose properly.

While manure from herbivores makes for great fertilizer, feces from your pet — or from you, for that matter — will lead to some unwanted problems for your fertilizer. It can lead to the spread of germs and parasites that will ultimately kill your fertilizer. It will also make your compost smell terrible.

THE BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS

NATURAL WEIGHT LOSS

In the famous Swiss novel “Heidi,” a little girl recovers from her fragile health — both physically and mentally — by spending time in the mountains. There are plenty of anecdotal stories about the medicinal effects of mountain air, but how much is supported by research? Here’s what there is evidence for so far:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other lung diseases.

One German study followed 20 obese men who lived in an environmental research station below the highest peak in the country. The subjects reached the peak effortlessly by railway or cable car, and they were allowed to eat as much as they liked. By the end of the week, however, each had lost an average of 1.5 kilograms or 3.3 pounds. Two factors are thought to have contributed to the weight loss: A naturally decreased appetite from the altitude (the men ate nearly 700 fewer calories than usual) and an increased metabolic rate. While there is still more to learn about the potential benefits of spending time in the mountains, these three studies give the greenlight for more high-altitude adventures.

Up in the mountains, you’ll likely be able to breathe a little easier.

REDUCED RISK OF OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE

People who spend more time at high altitudes may also experience a decreased appetite and lower risk of obesity. One study from 2017 even found that living at a higher elevation is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that include high blood pressure, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol. Even more interesting, mountain air may passively improve your weight loss journey as well.

CLEANER, POLLUTION-FREE AIR

One basic but important benefit of getting to a higher altitude is the escape from city pollution. It may surprise some city dwellers that air pollution is linked to asthma attacks for those with sensitive lungs and also to more serious conditions. Research suggests that prolonged exposure to air pollution may lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer,

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