Grass Cuttings

[Buzzardist]

My garden produces masses of grass cuttings which I put in a compost heap. About the only other ingredient of the heap is some soil or some of prev years compost to mix in with the grass. Does this composted grass add any real goodness to my borders?

[Clanad]

Nothing better can be added to flower beds. It increases moisture retention as well as readily available nutrients. A tip... you know how the grass cuttings tend to be a little (or a lot) slimy during the early composting process? Just tear up some of your castaway newspapers into 1 inch wide strips and add to the compost. Helps in speeding the process and pretty well eliminates the sliminess...
Best of luck!

[aka pixi]

my fella mixes all the crap from our shredder in with ours...no shiny paper though

[Buzzardist]

Thank you for your prompt response.

[Palustris]

If you have not got anything else to add to grass , then all you need to do is to take a crow bar or such like and make a vertical hole in the centre of the heap (or more holes if it is a large amount). This allows air into the decomposing material. It is the lack of oxygen which makes the grass cuttings go slimy.

[Buzzardist]

Thanks for your comments palustris. I don�t have a problem with grass cuttings compacting and going slimy; I have three compost heaps and sprinkle a layer of soil or old compost in with the new cuttings. This seems to work quite well and everything breaks down ok. Just to be sure, I use all the oldest of the three and about two thirds of the second heap on my beds and I then turn over the newest one and add the residue of the second heap. This one is held back until next year.
My only concern was that the bulk of this compost being made up of lawn cuttings might not have any nutritional value for the beds.

[Palustris]

75 percent of our compost heap is made up of lawn mowings too/ If you think about it, the whole of 'well rotted manure' is made of of grass. It just happens to have been passed through a cow's intestines first!

[Whoever]

Shredded newspaper will help prevent your grass cutting from compacting and forming a thick matted layer in your compost heap. And don't forget your kitchen waste - cabbage stalks, potato and carrot peelings etc, orange peel, apple cores, etc.

[shylock73]

If anything originally grew from the soil then it will be ok to go in the compost heap as long as it hasn`t been treated with harmful substances. Just mix it all up occasionally