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Is rhubarb suitable for the compost bin?

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  • #1

    Is rhubarb suitable for the compost bin?

    Hi there.

    I've inherited a fair bit of rhubarb in our plot from the previous owners of our house. Luckily I like the stuff.

    I thought I saw a lady on telly growing rhubarb just to compost the leaves, but I've also been told that they are poisonous and should never go in the compost bin.

    Which is right?
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  • #2
    Of course they can go on the heap.
    Foxgloves and lots of other things are poisonous if you eat them, but they all rot down perfectly.
    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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    • #3
      Just don't eat the compost

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      • #4
        One guy on our site puts about 90% of his rhubarb on the compost- stems and all!!!!...says it breaks it down a treat!!

        We always put our leaves in ours!
        "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

        Location....Normandy France

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        • #5
          Some of the guys down our allotmrnts put the leaves into the water buts to rot away and make some sort of liquid fertiliser. In the same way as the ones made from comfrey and nettles are.

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          • #6
            The rhubarb leaves are poisonous but left for a few months on the compost heap you will have no problems when using the heap.
            You can also use the leaves as an excellent weed supressent..just lay them on the ground or maybe the rhubarb patch and it will stay weed free! Am not sure itf its whats in the leaves that does it or the fact that they exclude light but way better than just composting.
            Geordie

            Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure


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            • #7
              Oxalic acid is the toxic part of rhubarb, there is a comprehensive website solely about Rhubarb at Rhubarb Information, which I quote from thus:

              "From an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for Oxalic acid, LD50 (LD50 is the Median Lethal Dose, which is the dose of a drug or chemical predicted to produce a lethal effect in 50 percent of the subjects to whom the dose is given) in rats is 375 mg/kg. So for a person about 145 pounds (65.7 kg) that's about 25 grams of pure oxalic acid required to cause death. Rhubarb leaves are probably around 0.5% oxalic acid, so that you would need to eat quite a large serving of leaves, like 5 kg (11 lbs), to get that 24 grams of oxalic acid. Note that it will only require a fraction of that to cause sickness. 57,58,60,61"
              Last edited by Peter; 17-04-2009, 10:27 PM.
              Always thank people who have helped you immediately, as they may not be around to thank later.
              Visit my blog at http://podsplot.blogspot.com/ - Updated 18th October 2009
              I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/

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              • #8
                Thankyou guys.

                My leaves have now moved from the floor to the compost bin. There's a wood mouse in there, but I'll warn him to consume less than 375 mg/kg.

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                • #9
                  Rhubarb Leaves

                  Can any of you clever people out there let me know if it's ok to put rhubarb leaves on my compost heap
                  Cheers
                  All the best Phattaff
                  It's not the size of the dog in the fight
                  It's the size of fight in the dog

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                  • #10
                    Well I do - they're poisonous to eat, not to compost!

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                    • #11
                      I've merged your query for info on the technical side, and for an answer.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by zazen999 View Post
                        I've merged your query for info on the technical side, and for an answer.
                        Thought that was me being sloppy and not reading the whole thread for a mo, but you moved it as I was replying...!
                        Last edited by Hazel at the Hill; 21-04-2009, 09:30 AM.

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                        • #13
                          And just to confuse everyone a little bit more.... I'm moving this to Digging Around

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                          • #14
                            Wahoo...chaos....

                            I loves it I do.


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                            • #15
                              Watch out! The Mods are on a power trip!!

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