Hair for the Garden

My dog is right in the middle of shedding his coat, and I comb out huge handfuls of fuzz every day.  Then there's the hair from my brush, and of course the cat and two rabbits all shed as well, so we end up with LOTS of hair.  Instead of throwing it all away, I add it to my compost bin.


I try to distribute it so that it ends up mixed through with other stuff, and not all in one big lump, or it may not break down. Materials require air and water to break down, but hair repels both.  That's why it's so important to separate it into small pieces and mix it thoroughly with other materials. Hair may take one to two years to break down.

Some gardeners are concerned about human hair being used with edible garden plants, as the hair may bring with it residue from chemicals used in coloring, perming or other treatments. Since I don't use any of these kinds of processes on my hair, I don't hesitate.

Hair counts as a "green" in the compost system. Other fluffy things you can add to your compost include feathers, dust bunnies and drier lint.

Hair can also be used uncomposted, mixed in small bits directly into the soil.  It is thought to help improve poor soil by slowly releasing nutrients and nitrogen, and helps break up heavy clay soil.

Hair can be collected throughout the year and put out for birds to use in building their nests.