It it was ALIVE, and is now DEAD (or harvested/excreted) it CAN be composted. Period. How depends on the method being used. Hot aerobic, cold aerobic, or anaerobic. If aerobic, also depends on how often the material is turned/screened (re-aerated) and percentage of water and how well the pile is insulated. Bones and shells take longer than plant tissue and flesh. Fiberous material takes longer than less-fiberous. Small pieces compost faster than large pieces (a matter of surface area in contact with microbes). I recommend using a blender on kitchen & table scraps with a bit of water as a matter of convenience. Hatchet, machete, shovel and shredding machine are all of value to a serious composter. How fast also depends mainly on the C:N ratio remaining in the material (temperature), pH and moisture content. Test - don't guess. And also the microbe diversity in the material and whether small 'decomposers' (such as insects) are at work in the material yet. I do not recommend putting any raw items into a pile that you are attempting to finish for use (1 month before using the compost, is generally safe via aerobic method) - BUT recommend 1/2" x 1/2" sifting before use (returning all non-graded material back into a pile). Particularly using the material for raising vegetable root crops. SoilGuy

totoro, my roses have really responded well to the tea. It's the best they've looked all year, so I'm bummed it's getting cold. I so hope all my buds eventually open. I also "accidentally" made some compost tea so I sprayed that with a little bit of AT directly on the leaves to combat BS. It's hard to know if worked, but even the worst offenders haven't caught BS yet, so who knows. Usually those grow back with BS, though. I'll try it from the first of the season next year now that I see how easy it is with my new Chapin mosquito sprayer. Samuel, you are so far ahead of us. We haven't lost any leaves and everything is still green. That will probably change with the cold this week. I've been putting the remainder of this years compost in bags leaving just enough to help with the microbes. I really need a source of nitrogen. Nobody bags grass around here so maybe it's time to try the coffee grounds. The thought has crossed my mind that applying it directly may help with midge due to the ph, but I haven't read any research on that. I have a separate place for my food waste. I'd still like to try turkey manure, but I lost access to a truck so It's bagged for me, I guess. What other easy sources of N could I find? I brought in all my houseplants and cuttings/rootings. I think I can leave my 5gal. potted roses out a bit longer. I don't think my coal cellar is that cold yet. I wonder what the temp needs to be to induce dormancy?

Straysod, Like you, and others who replied, I have a small tumbler that never really finishes. I dig it out by the bucketfull and use it rough. the places where I have dug it into the soil, it disappears quickly and though partially unfinished, hasnt hurt any plants. in fact, they seem to like it. I use mostly kitchen scraps and have a lack of browns too. I don't know why we introverts are so silly about this but i also put off asking my neighbors for leaves for almost a year. I was so awkward in avoiding this simple conversation that I once waited until they weren't home and hastily swept up all the leaves in the street in front of their house. I felt like a bandit! How embarrassing! But just last week I finally asked one of my neighbors for her leaves and she was so sweet and happy to oblige! Why had I been putting it off so long?! Now I have access to a neverending supply! ....And yet despite this success I am still avoiding asking my other neighbor for her grass clippings! O.o The worst thing they can say is no and you're right back where you started. Best case you have a new free resource. Maybe offer to blow and sweep the leaves yourself if you think they're likely to say no. Good luck to you with your compost and happy gardening.

Gosh don't tell me I'm the only one with "stuff" they don't know what to do with? I have this. It's from a house my parents bought that was built in 1900. It's the back from a fireplace, but IIRC the fireplace was more modern so gas, maybe? It's NOT iron...I'm not sure what it is, really. The center circle opens up via a hinge and it's about 20 wide by 27 high. It would fit my fireplace perfectly, but it would be sitting sideways :( Anyway. Would you get rid of it and try to exorcise your sentimentality, put it back in the closet, or try to so something (?) with it?