- Beans make a healthy side dish.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Most beans are very nutritious and high in fiber and protein. Unlike meat, beans decompose at a fast rate, which make them suitable for composting. Edible bean varieties, as well as plant material, can be used in compost in any condition -- fresh, cooked or dried. Barbara Pleasant, contributing editor for Mother Earth News, states that freezing beans prior to adding them to compost facilitates decomposition. - Make the most of bean seed.Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
Bean seed can be used in compost in the same way as dried beans. If you would like to generate a lot of compost, try sprouting bean seeds and then plant them. Plants and beans will provide richer compost and a larger quantity than bean seed alone. The sprouted beans and plants will also decompose more quickly than dried bean seed. - Don't waste anything when composting.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
Remnants from green beans, pole beans, peas, pintos and other varieties that require stringing or shelling are ideal compost material. Once plants have fully expired, pull them up to add the roots to the compost bin. Add compost back to the soil prior to planting and during the growing season to give growing plants a boost of nutrition. - Common problems associated with compost are odor, dryness or "inactivity" and the attraction of pests. A bad odor indicates that compost needs more air and coarse materials added. This can be achieved by turning the compost more often and adding leaves, sticks and twigs. Dry compost is remedied by simply adding a small amount of water and turning until heat is generated. Pests can be reduced by placing food scraps in the center of the compost and covering well. Beans and other nitrogen-rich plant material help balance the carbon-nitrogen ratio of the compost. Avoid composting meat and bones, which tend to attract wild animals.
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