what about hair for mulch???

i am a hair dresser and have heard here and there about using hair as mulch, does anyone know if its any better than just buying mulch, or have any other information about using hair in the garden?
Thanks
tammy

and you know what, i know this sounds nasty, but ive heard rabbit droppings are good for the garden too, but what about doggy droppings, eeww, but maybe like for the outskirts of the back yard, maybe mixed with straw or something, please dont think im strange, im just new to this and very curious.
thanks
tammy

No DOGGIE IS BAD , rabbit good. Any vegtable eating animal droppings are good for soil.So long as it is aged and not freshly put on a garden, Llama being the exception.
Look into the thread on Dung, doo doo and dirt prt one and two, will give you more info on what is good and not so good to use.I do believe their is a hair topic in one of those.
Good luck
sue

Hair is good in a worm bed,the worms devior it.

wow interesting i would never have thought worms like hair,
sue

What about dryer lint? Could that be put in a compost pile? Tamara

I understand that dryer lint isn't good for composting unless its from cotton clothing, also you can compost old cotton clothing, after you take off zippers and buttons and such.
edit to add: Hair is good around the garden to help keep critters out, I know it kept the shunk out from under my shed.
Dena

This message was edited May 21, 2006 11:06 AM

Hair is suitable for composting, as are feathers. Of these two I have tried only feathers. I put a whole pillow's worth into a compost heap last fall and they had decomposed as of March, I would say. That's pretty good considering it was cold weather most of the time.

Confession of a composter.

Bless me soil for I have composted dog poo (gasp)!

I don't compost rabbit poo, I use it straight up... spread on my garden without composting.

Greetings:

I've composted dog hair before. It takes longer than plant material but it does decompose eventually. However, I generally leave the dog hair out for the birds for nesting material. It's usually gone in a matter of a few days - much faster than composting.

If you have a lot of birds in the area, they might just raid whatever hair you put on the garden.

Cheers

Steve

I compost human hair. Even heard fingernails are OK.

Gee Dave, do you get a great big supply of fingernails in your neck of the woods??!! :)
;)
Susan

Is there ANY use for dog poo in a garden? I have a steady supply. I read somewhere (probably this forum) that it can contain diseases that won't affect the dog but should definitely not be passed on. And if anyone knows a good use for used kitty litter, I'm listening!

It all depends on if you want ORGANIC. If hair is dyed, it is not organic thus not good for edible parts of the garden. I don't dye my hair so when I've trimmed it at home, I've always put it in my houseplants along with any fingernail clippings.

FYI, any pet that is treated for worms or an illness has the residual material in their feces so it is also not organic so I would suggest using this only in flower beds also. I used to put cat litter in my flower beds.

Speaking of cat boxes; when I had cats, I was always careful with cleaning the litter box as it is nasty & one can get very sick from handling it. Pregnant women should NEVER tend a cat box! It's imperative to wash your hands very well after handling a cat box. It shocks me to know of or see people letting their cats up on their counters then make sandwiches on the same place a few hours later! *shudders & gags*

IMO anything that can be composted could be used on ornamentals as they would not be eaten.

Same with mulch or garden edging - I wouldn't mulch an edible garden with carpeting or use railroad ties.

This message was edited Jul 12, 2006 5:59 PM

This message was edited Jul 12, 2006 6:01 PM

The spores from cat feces that can be so dangerous to a fetus are also something one can become "immune" to, if I remember correctly. Those of us who grew up with indoor/outdoor cats and having to scoop the litter box are more likely to have immunity. Just an aside.

Lots of folks put hair out as mulch here, but it's mostly snatched up by the birds for baby blankets.

I am curious. What kind os nutrients would hair and fingernails and feathers be adding to the compost? I am trying to start my first compile post. I have tons and tons of leaves, not shreded, and I understand what I can add to it from the kitchen. This other stuff is new to me. No one around here sells compost. Everyone sells mulch so I don't inderstand the deal with the compost. I have all these plants ready to put in, the ground has been tilled because it was severely compacted. I want to get them in but want to do it right this time. Any suggesions? I know my compost won't be ready until next year. I am planning on muclhing also, after the plants are in.