# Deadly Nightshade in compost?



## ladyrua (May 26, 2006)

Hello all! I am new to the forum - I'll post a more complete intro of myself tomorrow, but I have a quick question:

Can I put cuttings off deadly nightshade into the compost bin? I'm planning on using the compost for vegies, but I'm not sure if the bad parts of the nightshade will somehow hurt them (or me!). This is probably a silly question, but I've learned so much off these boards just by lurking, I'm sure someone here can help!!

Thank you.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I've looked high and low through Google and cannot find a comment one way or the other on composting deadly nightshade... But as everything reduces to compost anyway, I should think the poison (which is in the berries) should be rendered harmless by the time you have your finished compost.

But that is just my own thought process, and I would not accept it as Gospel truth! 


Pony!


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

If it was me---I'd compost it UNLESS it has set berries. They probably would compost down but just to be sure ---if it had berries--- I'd burn or toss it.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

It is perfectly safe to compost deadly nightshade either as a green vine or ripe fruit. (Same goes for poison ivy and any other plants which are otherwise nasty.) Other than the fact that composting ripe berries means potentially spreading the seeds, there is no basis for NOT composting them. Nightshade fruit is only poisonous if ingested. At last report, compost is something not normally found as a side dish at the family meal!

Martin


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

The one problem I could see is if you have chickens etc. that might get into it. You don't want them eating the berries or seeds.


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## ladyrua (May 26, 2006)

I *wish* I had chickens! I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a "city homesteader"...I live in the city but I have about a half acre vegi garden next to my house! It's doing quite well for being over where two houses were torn down 50 years ago. Thankfully, someone in the past 25 years or so went to the effort to lay down a nice thick layer of top soil over the old foundations...we still find interesting bits of stone and glass though!

In the next year, we'll be moving to our very own land. Till then, I make do!


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