No—not in the compost pile!

With winter weather as warm as it’s been, the upcoming vegetable-planting season is on the minds of many a local gardener. And there’s nothing like compost-amended soil to make those tomato, cucumber, squash and melon plants blissfully happy. But, what makes good compost? Veggie scraps, coffee grounds, leaves and eggshells are all great ingredients (see www.compost-info-guide.com for more good composting advice).

Conversely, what should you never throw into your compost pile? According to Mother Nature Network, there are a dozen taboo items, including diseased plants, bread products (which attract unwanted pests), cooking oil (which upsets the compost’s moisture balance) and meat products (another unwanted-pest attractor). Go to www.mnn.com to read the entire list.