watervole | Grass cuttings, newspaper, cardboard and compost

Entry tags:

gardening

Grass cuttings, newspaper, cardboard and compost

According to my library book, (and I'm just trying this myself) it's useful to compost grass clippings and newspaper together is. Grass clippings are very heavy in nitrogen content, where as newspapers are mostly carbon. Good compost requires a mixture of nitrogen and carbon, as will as some water. The trick is to shred the newspaper and then pour water on it (damp, not sodden). Cardboard is good too. I've just started composting corrugated cardboard and egg boxes.

So, if you want to compost your grass clippings but find that they just turn into a slimy mess, try mixing them with shredded newspaper. (and you really do need to mix it all up for decent results)

Let me know how it goes. My compost is racing away; it may be the newspaper or it may be occasional feed of urine (which is also high in nitrogen)

Tea bags and coffee grounds compost well (one lady on the allotments swears by tea bags)

Here's a handy link on what will compost well from the kitchen and garden.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh dear,
if only I COULD send you our 1st class natural fertiliser (manure), free and any amount you ask... :-) Really, I am not joking as we have got a farm with a big herd of cattle.
Your knowledge of compost is very useful - I will be able to get rid of teabags and cofee grounds finally ( IF I don´t forget to arrange the matter in the kitchen...)

I 'brew up' used teabags, and separately, used coffee grounds, to make liquid plant food. (Tea leaves are picked green, and seem to still have a good N content). Only then do I add the spent remains to the compost heap :-) Coffee grounds are also supposed to repel slugs. Cafes will sometimes give you theirs!

I've had good results with composting moist grass with shredded paper and cardboard. Must dig out my overwintering compost heap soon.

Manure is also best 'composted' == well-rotted before use.

Cafes will sometimes give you theirs!

Indeed- we used to go up to a coffee shop near our allotment several times a week, and they were more than happy to give the lot over. We got the occasional spoon too. :)

We've just bought a shredder which is brilliant for shredding stuff for the compost heap too!

Newspaper is good a bit wet and in small bits so shredding is ideal. You can also use eggs boxes as little seed trays that also decompose so they are perfect. Egg shells are good too but do smach them up - it's amazing how they seem to be able to survive the composting intact!