Oleander trimmings in the compost?

[chills]

i just trimmed my oleander trees and i dont want to pass up a opportunity for green stuff .. i was going to strip off the green leaves and throw them together with lots of brown leaves.
ive read mixed messages, the plant is toxic .. i wont eat the compost ... but im kinda scared cuz im still new at this ....
do you put oleander trimmings in your compost pile?
thanks

 

[injunjoe]

I am not a pro but I put many many toxic tropical trimmings in my compost. The idea of the compost is to make it cook so to say.
I have been doing this for many many years now.

I would not put to many in at one time though. Think layers.
A bit of green, brown,ect...

 

[chills]

thanks injunjoe, that was my theory too, i was going to use some water in between as well, not soaking but damp ...
i was trying to remember that if it came from the earth it can go back to the earth through my compost pile, but im sure there are those 'no dont do that' times ..
thanks

 

[Greensage45]

Yeah,

I have Jimson weed in mine, along with Deadly Nightshade and what ever else rears its ugly head in my garden. I don't have any oleanders though.

I know they are highly poisonous but most animals wont eat them, except human kids and goats; this is where the mishaps occur.

If you think about it, anyone that gets mulch from their City's recycling Center is likely getting a ton of all kinds of goodies such as oleander.

The only thing I would think to be a problem is the bulk of it. Oleander is a bit heavy on the cellulose and will probably take a full season to move through the compost pile.

I would do it.

Ron

 

[injunjoe]

Just thinking about this but I also put in Caster Bean leaves, Phothos,
four-clocks and many other tropical suspect plants into my compost.
Not to mention all the Morning Glory scraps!

I feel healthy ! ?

This could explain a lot!

 

[lareepqg]

I wouldn't. You don't want to be digging in your garden next spring and accidentally scratch yourself on a woody part of the oleander.

 

[injunjoe]

Come on now.
Tomato plants are poisonous.
Should we not compost them?

There are a lot of poisonous plants that get composted.

The idea of compost is to breakdown these things.

 

[chills]

lareepqg - i hear you, ive always known they are toxic, so i checked with poision control website and its states: if consumed .. im going to go with that, and just never eat them!
in the years i've been maintaining my oleanders i've come out of that garden bed area looking as though i just lost a fight with a cat, i never gave it any thought of the scratches .. (maybe just not cut bad enough)
i am however forever scared from trimming my fig tree, what started out as a very bad rash has in fact scared my skin in all areas it touched .. go figure!
i love my oleanders (mostly because they have survived me!) and i do like the cluster of flowers they give, i also love the colors ..
thanks for the input, it sparked me to do more research!

injunjoe your killing me, i didnt know tomatoes were poisonous, just dont eat the plant eh? maybe i dont want to know???

 

[injunjoe]

chills; I try to be fun! In my garden I find it Easy and Fulfilling.

I just try to add the FUN!

Yes tomato plants are poisonous. All parts except for the fruit!

Some plants are poisonous from the ground up, like potato for example!

I am a compost nut! But I must agree to not eat my black gold!

Good luck and keep up the com-post.

Edited to add: It sounds like you are allergic to them! I can rub a fig leaf all over and it would not bother me!

Get me near milk and my eye swells almost shut and can sleep for days!

 

[chills]

again your killing me ..
so a quick question on tomatoes .. i thought i read somewhere (net) that you could put the tomato leaves in water, let em sit a while, strain, put in spray bottle and use as a pest control .. cuz there toxic?