If too many rotting figs got too wet...

16 years ago

would it smell like dog poo, or do you think I got dog poo in my compost?

Here the dealo, I have a small compost bin (from the city, about the size of a large garbage can) that I compost mostly grass clippings and fallen leaves. I also add any fruit and veggie waste I come across.

So, it's fig season, so lot of figs from our crazy tree are going in there, a lot being like 10-20 a day. These are the ones the birds and squirrels half get, we don't eat or give away or make preserves out of. How does one little fig tree make so many figs?

Anyway, I might have put a little too much water in the compost and it is stinky! I put some compost around some plants and there were flies flying around it. Yuck.

We don't have a dog, but occasionally dogsit for a friend and he sometimes poops behind our avacado tree where we get the fallen leaves for the compost from. My husband just mows them up with the lawn mower, so some dog poop *could* have gotten in there from month ago. Do you think that is what happened or is the funky stink from the abundance of rotting figs?

My final question is, if it's possibly actual dog poo in my compost, how careful do I have to be using it, especially if I just use it around plants not used for providing anything edible? My compost is usually pretty good, but probably not totally "done," ykwim? It kinda grosses me out thinking I'm putting dog poo around my plants, even in little small traces.

BTW, hi, so glad I found this forum, I'm definately turning into a huge composting wacko, even on a small scale. My kindergarten daughter told her teacher the other day that we are taking home the brown paper towels to put in our compost that she used to wipe up water from the floor she spilled. Go girl!

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Comments (3)

gonefishin
16 years ago
Have you checked the bottom of your shoes? Sure you did not step in it! ":^) Just kidding. It did not get in there unless you put it in there accidentally with those leaves.

My fig tree was really loaded down this year also. We made preserves, gave them away and I ate handfuls of the ripest ones every time I went around the tree, usually two or three times per day. I got sick of them (never thought that was possible) and got most of them instead of the birds, squirrels and insects.

I am sure that it is probably the combination of the ingredients that you have put in there. You could add a good amount of browns to kill the odor. Something like dead leaves, shredded up straw or paper etc. And you may have it a little too wet. The odor should be gone when you are ready to use it and it should smell like good earth. A small amount of dog poo would not worry me if it was all well composted.
Good luck with your compost.
Bill P.
Kimmsr
16 years ago
Im a too wet compost pile the odor could range across the web of what it smells like and dog poop is on of those. Add lots more dryer material to offset the wet fruit and the offensive odor should diminish.
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tclynx
16 years ago
I wouldn't worry about the dog doo in the compost unless your family tends to lick compost off their hands after gardening rather than washing them. Good hot compost will kill the pathogens but most "composting authorities" don't trust backyard composters to get good hot compost and they therefore say you should not compost poo from people, cats, or dogs. Of course handling the poo to clean it up is more dangerous than handling compost made from it which is why we are supposed to wash our hands after using the toilet, changing diapers, cleaning the cat litter, and picking up the dog doo.

As to the odor, it is probably because the compost needs more carbon and less water. if the dog doo got finely shredded with the leaves, you might want to cover with leaves or other material that you are sure isn't covered with something stinky.

If too many rotting figs got too wet...

Comments (3)

gonefishin

Kimmsr

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tclynx

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