grass cuttings in my compost bin

hello all

we've had a compost bin for over a year now but all that really went into it was from my kitchen, however now that we have a lawn (:D) I have started to add my grass cuttings too...

Im little worried however that Im putting in way too much grass compared to anything else? Is this a problem?

We eat a fair amount of fruit and veg so lots of peelings go in (at least a tub full every day) and all the loo rolls and egg boxes go in too!

Can I continue putting my grass cuttings in every week or should I send some of it to the local tip (we have a green bag scheme for garden waste)?

Thx!

 

Grass cuttings should be mixed half and half with co****r, drier materials, for good composting. But you can also use them directly as mulch around shrubs and tall perennials, and in the veg. patch, so I would send them away only if there is really no other possible use for them. Any organic matter that you send them out of the garden is organinc matter that you will have to replace somehow, so waste nothing.

 

I swear I wrote no bad words up there I don´t know why I got those *** . I am a polite girl, I promise.

 

Ellen

I'd add grass cuttings sparingly to your compost bin at first and see how it goes. There's always other uses for them, as Ivory says. You can add more later if the mix is not getting too sticky. But don't add any cuttings at all if you've just used a selective weed killer on your lawn.

 

Time to view your junk mail in a different way !!

I save most of mine and rip out the see through windows of envelopes, any staples and discard the highgloss leeaflets, keeping the matt varnish ones. All go through the shredder into the compost bin along with kitchen scraps/teabags and grass cuttings and it all makes wonderfull compost. The trick is to ensure that no large clumps of fresh grass going in is not going in as large clumps...this becomes slimey if it does.

Add manure if you can get hold of some, Geoff Hamilton said on one show of his that six inches of grass cutings and a layer of manure makes the best compost ever !!

Mix it up a few times a week, keep it moist !!

Steve...