If you can't compost it, it's probably poisonous, nuclear reactive, or an inconvenience due to pests and such. You might be getting confused with advice for vermicompost, as it is said that worms don't like alliums. I've never had any trouble however

"it's probably poisonous, nuclear reactive, or an inconvenience"

I made a supper like that once!

:-)

They (onion scraps) take a while to break down, but they eventually break down. I throw them in.

Lloyd

I turned my pile this weekend and came across something that smelled to high heaven ----feces like !!!---

Turned out to be a partially decomposed onion---my 16 yr old son helping me turn the pile got a kick out of it ----"Dad----did you take a dump in your pile ???!!!"--:)

I had to reassure him I had not gone that far off the deep end ......yet -----

Anyway ---they will decompose but will smell pretty nasty for a while ---keep 'emm covered-------

JB

Well, I do not have a worm bin, except for whatever critters might find their way to the compost. So I won't fret if hubby tosses the onion scraps in the bin. He uses the majority of the onion while cooking so hopefully I will not have the same experience as Joebob!

Rachel

I have successfully composted onions and other alliums in both traditional and vermicomposting systems. When I'm feeling virtuous, I make a point of cutting them up small before tossing them in, but sometimes I'm lazy. They've never failed to compost.

I've added whole onions that start to mold in the cupboard and haven't had a problem w/ them. Occasionally I put in a rotten orange w/ out breaking it up and they will still be around after 2 or 3 turns, very moldy, but don't really do well till they get stomped, or chopped w/ a shovel. The onions on the other hand, I haven't even seen.

A very simple rule about what can go into the compost is if you could eat it you can compost it, plus a lot of vegetative material that you would not eat can be composted.

Lloyd, I made a supper like that once! ROFL

Actually, I'm sorta convinced that onion scraps help keep some of the critters out of my CP.

Kris

I use a lot of onions & garlic in cooking so they go in the compost bin. Which my 7yo said "smells good", remember?
:D

"Actually, I'm sorta convinced that onion scraps help keep some of the critters out of my CP."

That might be why we've never had a problem with critters in our compost - we eat a lot of onions and garlic.

Onions and their friends garlic, shallots and leeks all grow underground as bulbs (they're part of the lily family). They have naturally occurring compounds that stave off bacteria and fungi, which helps them survive for a long time underground. Therefore, they aren't the most easily compostable thing in your kitchen...I think the onion has to be very old and "weak" before the bacteria/fungi can win the fight and chomp it up. Onions will compost, it takes longer than it takes a banana peel.

I've noticed that onions stick around forever in my compost pile. I assumed it was because they thrive underground so it's like a natuarl growing environment for them.

I've even had growth in some dried up green onions I threw in. The roots actually grew and the stalks turned green again.

Came across this -
http://www.terawarner.com/blog/2011/08/an-easy-guide-to-composting/