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I've been reading that peanut shells can take a year or two to decompose and that the recommendation is to grind them up before putting them in your compost heap.
My question is a little different - I feed shelled peanuts to squirrels and over the winter especially there gets to be a LOT of shells in the yard. During the rest of the year I'm mowing so I don't notice as much. But will all these shells end up being bad for my yard if they take so long to break down, even after mowing over them? Should I just rake them up once thing dry up and dispose of them in the trash?
Speaking for myself I'd rake them up or use the mower to bag them and then mix them into the compost without bothering to grind them up. My reason for disposing into compost pile instead of leaving them in the yard is strictly personal because of what is physically comfortable and safe for me as well as esthetically pleasing to my eye. The shells feel uncomfortable to walk on. Possibly dangerous to walk on if I or little grandkids are in open sandals or bare feet, or if dogs are in the yard they can get sharp shell bits embedded and puncturing between their toes. But most especially I just don't like the way it looks like garbage lying around. To me a bunch of broken up nut or seed shells of any kind left lying around in the yard looks unsightly, trashy, lazy, careless and uninviting. I don't leave other organic things lying around in the yard either. It all goes into the compost.
Would the 'salted' peanut shells still be good? It would probably not make a difference in the quantities the OP is speaking about - but I don't know? I also do not think the animal peanuts are slated; but you never know.
Would the 'salted' peanut shells still be good? It would probably not make a difference in the quantities the OP is speaking about - but I don't know? I also do not think the animal peanuts are slated; but you never know.
All the peanuts are unsalted since they're for the squirrels. I go through at least 20 pounds a month, sometimes more, depending on the season.
I also scatter the pistachio shells over my garden, but first I placed them in water to take away the salts from the plants, since I love my salted pistachios. They aerate my Clay soil.
NO SALT--it's bad for plants! Animal feed shouldn't include salted nuts.
legumes, including peanuts are nitrogen fixers, so the shells may be adding nitrogen to your yard--that's a good thing.
Doesn't mowing over them break them up pretty well?
The nitrogen fixed by microbes associated with the peanut roots does not end up in large amounts in the peanut shells.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbear99
Interesting that the same high carbon idea applies to bark mulch, too, which can decay gracefully over a year or two, yet few folks throw high nitrogen fertilizer on their mulched beds. I'm sure it's a good idea, but hardly essential.
Usually the goal of bark mulch is to be decorative, so you do not want it to decompose quickly. Thus no extra nitrogen should be added.
Usually the goal of bark mulch is to be decorative, so you do not want it to decompose quickly. Thus no extra nitrogen should be added.
You must be thinking of the bark nuggets. I've used shredded bark mulch for years not for decoration but for weed suppression and to make watering easier. It does both of these well. The bonus is that it decays and in doing so enriches the soil, making it much more friable and fertile.
My neighbor's landscaper used bark nuggets on his curb strip and yard. A lot of them ended up in other people's yard, since they float so well in heavy rains.
My vote would be they are good for compost. I know cotton growers would rotate crops with peanuts because cotton plants take so much out of the soil and peanut crops replenish the soil.
I used to throw peanut shells into the woodstove to get a lazy fire going again (they are extremely flammable and burn fast an hot) but also composted them, I eat far less peanuts these days. I am presently dumping my used egg shells on the C-Pile to help give the final product more "diatomaceous" in hopes it will cut down on yard and garden pests.
I used to throw peanut shells into the woodstove to get a lazy fire going again (they are extremely flammable and burn fast an hot) but also composted them.
If that's true then heads up.... Compost piles are known to catch fire if there are leaves, grass or items that haven't broken down. And if peanuts burn fast and hot, heads up for those throwing them in the compost! Make sure it's watered down and moist daily.
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