Composting with no lawn clippings

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

With this drought and the lack of grass growth, how are you keeping the compost bin going without the addition of lawn clippings? I've got reasonable growth but have mulched it all back to the lawn, given the present conditions. The compost bins always seemed to benefit from the heat of some grass clippings and these are now lacking. Is there anything else to help keep the bins going?

acai berry

Much the same situation here, Srameen! I find I seem to have more kitchen waste in this hot weather. Stuff in the fridge is going off quicker so I have more veggie and fruit peelings. I'm emptying in my used teabags, though that's hardly a replacement for grass. Today I got a bag of used coffee grounds from my local coffee shop. Also not a replacement for grass, but it went into the compost heap anyway. I have some rasberry canes that have green leaves and rasberries that have absolutely burnt up. I've used a secateurs to cut them into inch pieces. They have supplied some greenery and the wood is quite soft. I have a bed of comfrey which I can't get rid of. I'm watering that with the rest of my borders. So it's supplying me with some greenery, even though growth has been cut back by the heat. Lastly any deadheading I do is going into the compost heap. Every little helps, as they say!

I never put grass cuttings in my compost.

acai berry

I also have broccoli whch I planted back in September. It still has not produced and florets but has grown to be a monstrous size. The white cabbage butterflies have gotten to it. I take off any bottom leaves which have caterpillars and throw them onto the compost. The sun burns it up within a day.

Lumen

I don't have any grass clippings in mine. It's mostly shredded euphorbia at the moment, the plant that will never die. Got nice and hot for a few weeks.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Deleted User wrote: »

I never put grass cuttings in my compost.

How do you get any heat in to it?

iamtony

Jeremiah Miniature Swine wrote: »

How do you get any heat in to it?

You should have a ratio of about 4:1 brown(shredded paper, cardboard, dried leaves, straw etc.) to green(grass cuttings and or fruit and veg pealing) so I suppose the answer is veg peelings instead of grass. Also it probably needs to be watered if it's not wet in their. A shovel full of soil from the garden also help get the bacteria in their to start the process.

magicbastarder

i don't lift the grass, so we have no lawn clippings. as a result, our compost bins (two dalek style ones) never really get hot. have to be careful about using that compost on veg beds as a result.

Thud

acai berry wrote: »

I also have broccoli whch I planted back in September. It still has not produced and florets but has grown to be a monstrous size. .

Same here, I have some 5ft tall broccoli plants, no florets or flowers but i assume it bolted and wont get any from them this year?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

iamtony wrote: »

You should have a ratio of about 4:1 brown(shredded paper, cardboard, dried leaves, straw etc.) to green(grass cuttings and or fruit and veg pealing) so I suppose the answer is veg peelings instead of grass. Also it probably needs to be watered if it's not wet in their. A shovel full of soil from the garden also help get the bacteria in their to start the process.

Oh I know the ratios but with just two of us in the house we have very little veg peelings and I relied in the odd addition of grass clippings. Moisture is not a problem.

iamtony

Jeremiah Miniature Swine wrote: »

Oh I know the ratios but with just two of us in the house we have very little veg peelings and I relied in the odd addition of grass clippings. Moisture is not a problem.

OK cool. Where are you based? I could give you some chicken manure if you like I'm in Clonshaugh, Dublin 17.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

iamtony wrote: »

OK cool. Where are you based? I could give you some chicken manure if you like I'm in Clonshaugh, Dublin 17.

Thank you so much for the kind offer but I'm a long way from you. You have however given me an idea. A neighbour dropped in some of his eggs last week, so I'll talk to him about chicken manure.

Thanks again.

Roen

Might not be what you're looking for but I posted recently about a hot composter. Its just all kitchen scraps and card, with the odd handful of wood pellets that I've put it in so far. No problem generating heat there.
Expensive though!

magicbastarder

are those the ones half buried in the ground?
i think i read that they're useful for dog owners as the heat kills the unwanted microorganisms in dog s***?

my3cents

Jeremiah Miniature Swine wrote: »

Thank you so much for the kind offer but I'm a long way from you. You have however given me an idea. A neighbour dropped in some of his eggs last week, so I'll talk to him about chicken manure.

Thanks again.

Tell him you'll take any bedding along with the droppings and anything he uses in the chicken house.

Can't be beat!

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

are those the ones half buried in the ground?
i think i read that they're useful for dog owners as the heat kills the unwanted microorganisms in dog s***?

should mention i'm slightly cynical of such claim, though; if the microorganisms can survive temps of near 40 degrees in a dog's gut, it might suggest you'd need a good warm day in one of those composters to do away with them.

iamtony

magicbastarder wrote: »

should mention i'm slightly cynical of such claim, though; if the microorganisms can survive temps of near 40 degrees in a dog's gut, it might suggest you'd need a good warm day in one of those composters to do away with them.

I wouldnt put dog **** in their myself. Just cause I heard its not good. Say that I stick it in the brown bin even though they say not too. Just reminded me it's bin day tomorrow I've got to put out the black and brown bin.

Roen

magicbastarder wrote: »

are those the ones half buried in the ground?
i think i read that they're useful for dog owners as the heat kills the unwanted microorganisms in dog s***?

No. It's a rotator. Fully above ground. They say you can put crap in it alright but I'm not going to find out. It does get hot enough that I have no fear of putting meat and fish in it.
It'll be three weeks on Sunday so I'm still tweaking the mix to get the best heat from it.

TheTeainEMT

Ive had to get creative this yea with a sudden drop in green materials in the garden like grass

Used coffee grounds from coffee shops. Insomnia say they hold them... hit and miss some shops are great others look at you like you've two heads. Had one lovely staff member keep a whole days worth for me. Bagged up ready to go at 1600

Another option Ive literally only used today after seeing some youtube about it, spent brewery grains


Emailed a local craft brewery on Monday who said they store all theirs for collection by an animal feed manufacturer on a Friday so call down thursday and get it. Which I did... albeit ill prepared with a few bin bags but the staff gave me some old lined grain bags to use which I'll reuse in future. So if youre going to do it maybe bring a few buckets with lids yourself as it does have a unique smell, I didnt mind it but some might

It was steaming even as I was loading it into the bags.

Mixed it into the compost pile with lots of browns and buried it with wood chips keep the vermin away. 20 mins later the heap is up to 40°

New Home

You could also ask supermarkets if they have rotting/un-sellable fruit and veg they have to throw out (I'm not sure what the Health and Safety regulations would be regarding that, but it's worth asking).

There are also some natural additives you can get in the co-ops, they're granules/powders that contain certain enzymes and would speed the process along.

Alternatively, ask whatever kid goes around asking to do mow the lawns in the area if s/he can keep the cuttings for you.

TheTeainEMT

Not even 24hrs later