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Compost from clippings, weeds or just bin it?

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  • 24-07-2019 10:25am
    #1
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,222 ✭✭✭


    Amateur here.

    I have started a pile in the back garden of grass clippings, weeds and leaves. I don't mix my thing else into it. I'm not a serious gardener at all and I don't want to add kitchen waste as we have had rats before re another issue.

    Anyway, It's just a pile at the end of the lawn. Beginning to look unsightly now I have to say. I turn it over with a fork a few times a week. I water it if there a dry spell.

    I could simply bin the whole lot immediately as I cut the grass, weed or cut off leaves and be done with it. And I am tempted to do that. But I decided to start a pile to see how I get along.

    The pile is getting darker. Losing its greenness. But some questions please.

    The most important question is how long should I have to wait until I have new fresh soil?

    Am I forking it and turning it over too regularly? About four times a week. Should I just hold back on that?

    Is adding weeds to the pile a good or bad thing?

    The idea of turning all that dead stuff into good fresh soil is fantastic but I really don't have time to do much else with it. Am I on the right track?


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    #2
    pconn062
    Registered Users Posts: 5,370 ✭✭✭pconn062


    It can take 6-8 months to get usable compost depending on the size of the heap. You need a good mix of nitrogen and carbon based material, if there is too much grass is can smell and won't compost properly so you can add some more leaves or cardboard. Weeds are fine but it depends on the size of the heap. You need to get it hot to kill the weed seeds and need a decent sized heap for hot compost. You could be turning it too often, I turn mine about 1-2 times per month.


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    #3
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,222 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    pconn062 wrote:
    It can take 6-8 months to get usable compost depending on the size of the heap. You need a good mix of nitrogen and carbon based material, if there is too much grass is can smell and won't compost properly so you can add some more leaves or cardboard. Weeds are fine but it depends on the size of the heap. You need to get it hot to kill the weed seeds and need a decent sized heap for hot compost. You could be turning it too often, I turn mine about 1-2 times per month.


    Thanks. That's longer than I thought I have to say. The other thing is that there will be more grass clippings and more leaves in due course so dumping that on the heap makes it even bigger and then more time is needed to break down .

    I won't finish cutting grass until October so it'll be 6-8 months after that. That's about May of next year.
    I dont really know if it's worth it.


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