The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: suziequeue on June 12, 2013, 07:05:33 am
-
Well - it's that time of year and OH has started with the mower again so the recurring question of what to do with the grass clippings comes up again.
I do put some grass clippings onto the compost heap but we have more than I can compost
We chipped a lot of brash from last year's hedgelaying in preparation for some project which are not pursuing now and I'm wondering if I mixed them together - whether that would turn into anything useful.......
Any thoughts or experience with this combination?
-
It would turn into wonderful compost...
-
Yes, if you have a spot big enough to put it all and leave it the green plus brown will compost down. Just don't want to fill the compost bin with it. We've got a tumble down shed with several open topped bays which is mostly inhabited by rabbits (it's open bottomed too!). We've filled one bay with semi-rotted manure and fresh turf cut from the latest veg patch and will now just leave it to sit for a year or more. Not clogging up our official compost system and I won't bother turning it but hopefully all will rot down eventually....
H
-
Yes - I can make a separate space for it or it can go in a dumpy bag.
I smiled at your comment Hester about not clogging up the official compost system. I really identify with that :-)
-
;D We have six huge compost bins which are already full to bursting and with very little green in them so while I know the theory, I just can't seem to strike a balance. We've got to get more bins now because this is just from six months worth of composting so not yet ready for anything. And I've still got no space to put my kitchen waste!
H
-
well mixed grass clippings and chippings will rot down fine, helps if the chippings are quite small...
always worth adding an activator (wet manure or pee) to the pile to get it going...
-
I have to say - I gave up composting in bins because I always seemed to be needing more so I sympathise with your predicament HesterF. Now I have two big heaps - one that I actively add to and the other that is turned, covered and left to rot down so by the time I use it it's been composting for between one and two years.
We have a completely closed compost bin (one of those turney ones) for compostable waste that the chickens and the wormery won't like but is still tempting to rats and dogs (leftovers,onion skins, sheep's afterbirth etc).
I think I'll put the mixed clippings and grass into dumpy bags and get OH to pee on it. We really don't make enough compost for all our needs so this will be a real boost.
-
My compost system consists of several bins made from four pallets tied together with string at the corners. When full I simply remove the pallets, reassemble them next to the old location and turn the whole lot over into the new bin. Adding cut grass at the same time really gets some heat going.
-
My neighbour dumps his across the road from his house !
-
you could use it mixed with the chips as mulch in an area that you want to kill off weeds or keep them down. Ive used it on flower gardens for years, obviously also have to provide good compost/ manure etc as well over time, but it rots down fabulously, particularly beneath shrubs. Each week I used to (when I had a smaller immaculate garden!) put the clippings in a thin layer about 4-5cm deep over the whole garden. Evenly put down it looks tidy. Placed thicker over weedy areas that you want to kill off, the mulch does the work for you as it heats up. Make sure not to put it too thick though, as you dont want a stinky mess, and be careful around surface rooting shrubs such as rhodos and camellias that it never heats up enough to damage the surface roots. A whole lot easier than composting it, and builds up the humus in your garden.