When we talk about fresh flowers, they are considered green compost material. However, dried flowers are not green compost material but are rather brown compost materials.
Fresh flowers are great additions to the compost piles because they can act as green and brown waste although certain parts of flowers are not meant to be added into compost.
Are Flowers Compostable?
Yes, of course. Compost relies on a mix of organic materials referred to as brown and green waste. Examples of brown waste compost materials are dead leaves, sawdust, newspaper, and of course, dried flowers.
Dry, brown materials serve as source of carbon. As for the green wastes, they provide nitrogen and are considered “wet” because they are fresher. Examples of green waste compost materials are grass clippings, coffee grounds, etc and of course, fresh flowers.
How to make Compost from Flowers
Flowers require minimal preparation before they can be added to the compost pile.
Get and Cut your Flowers
First of all, you need to get your flowers and cut them into smaller pieces. If your flowers have bulbs, separate them and check if they can be chopped into tiny pieces.
Bulbs and corms require a long time to decompose in compost. If you do not want to cut the bulb, or perhaps you are having a hard time cutting them, you can as well, throw them away.
Organize Them in the Composting Heap
The next thing to do is to have your flowers organized in a compost heap in the same way that you would use for other compostable materials. A layer of brown compost material should be placed at the bottom, followed by a layer of green. Repeat the layers about 2 – 3 times and add one more layer of brown waste on top.
Water the Layers
Ensure to water each layer as you place it in the compost bin or pile.
Turn your Compost
Remember to turn your compost. Turning your compost helps to aerate the compost while preventing compaction, moisture pooling, and overheating. If it’s a compost pile, use a shovel to turn the pile of the compost while digging in and turning over with the shovel.
If it’s a compost bin, make use of a tumbler instead and turn the tumbler every 3 – 4 days or about twice a week. Within 3 months or thereabouts, the compost should be ready for use although it might require more time in winter and less time in summer.
Do sunflower stalks make good compost?
Giant sunflower stalks are strong with hard fibrous cells and are slow to decompose in a compost pile or bin.
Are flower petals good for compost?
The answer to this is ‘yes’. Flower petals, leaves, and stems are considered ‘green’ components when added to your compost pile while still fresh and are considered brown components when they are dried.
Can lavender be composted?
Yes, they can. You just need to cut back, remove old flower stems and compost.
Conclusion
Flowers are green compost materials when they are fresh and are brown compost materials when they are dried.
