Composting when you have only grass

[maddy]

This is our first year homesteading, and our property consists of a mix of pasture and forest. No leaves to speak of. We don't have animals or a truck, which means that manure is not possible quite yet. So just about the only thing I can see to compost, other than occasional food scraps, is pasture grass.

I've been reading about composting and understand that you need a mix of brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen). Grass, of course, can be brown or green. So here's my question: Can you get a decent compost using only a layered mix of dried grass (brown) and freshly mowed grass (green)?

I would like to get started on the compost just as soon as I can.

Thanks for your input!

[Halfway]

Originally Posted by maddy

This is our first year homesteading, and our property consists of a mix of pasture and forest. No leaves to speak of. We don't have animals or a truck, which means that manure is not possible quite yet. So just about the only thing I can see to compost, other than occasional food scraps, is pasture grass.

I've been reading about composting and understand that you need a mix of brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen). Grass, of course, can be brown or green. So here's my question: Can you get a decent compost using only a layered mix of dried grass (brown) and freshly mowed grass (green)?

I would like to get started on the compost just as soon as I can.

Thanks for your input!

It may still end a gooey compost because the carbon ratio may not be high enough.

Some other things to think of for carbons.

Toilet paper and paper towel rolls, paper from a shredder (if you use one), all cardboard either shredded or cut into smaller pieces, waste paper products, newspapers etc. Coffee filters with the spent coffee is a good mix.

[jlrbhjmnc]

We had good luck with grass last summer. Some was fresh clippings we found at houses up for sale, other was from our own yard. We let some of it dry (just spread it out in the sun for a couple of days) and mixed the fresh and the dry with our food scraps. It heated up and then composted down nicely. At one point it had a stronger smell than usual, so we found out how much freshly cut grass was too much... but it wasn't bad. Smelled kind of like too much chicken poo in the coop. We used more dried grass the next time we had a haul of fresh clippings, aobut half fresh and half dry (the first try was 2 parts fresh to 1 part dry). We didn't turn it often enough for quick results, but it was still ready by Fall after a very hot summer. We did have to water it a couple of times a week and kept it covered with cardboard to hold in moisture. Did I mention it was a VERY hot summer ? I want a scoop shovel and a pitchfork for my birthday, lol. ETA: I was typing as Halfway was posting: egg cartons and shredded paper were part of our pile, too. Then we saved the shreds once we started having lots of grass, but are using them since the Fall (toddlers LOVE throwing shredded paper on the compost pile!).

Halfway, Forerunner, Mudburn, et al: will a yard-type chipper shred up egg cartons and cardboard??

[geo in mi]

Yes it can be done, but it would be easier if you could have some other materials in the mix. Reason: green grass is usually moist enough to compact and then rot by anaerobic action(wet and stinky), and what you want is aerobic decomposition. You will have to mix the brown and green, then turn it quite a lot to keep it fluffy and full of oxygen so it will heat up. As time goes by, you should have weed trimmings(before they go to seed), spent vegetables, vegetable trimmings, and leaves from the trees that you can rake up. You can judge as to when you need browns and let your lawn clippings dry before raking--other times you can put them in green. Another thing you can use is oats---sow them in between the garden rows and let them grow. Then mow them down and use the mowings either dry like straw, or green, as needed. But, the roots will decompose in the soil, giving you the same benefit as compost. You can also use green manures each year to add humus and nitrogen to your soil. You can buy bagged oats from a farm supply place like TSC, for horses--clean and weed free. About the only thing you should not put into your compost pile is animal or vegetable fats(oils), or dog or cat feces(possibility of hookworms, roundworms, and other pathogens also to be avoided by women in pregnancy)). Here is a basic site that will get you started, if you are interested. There are zillions of others by Googling "composting": http://www.howtocompost.org/info/info_composting.asp

Good luck,

geo

[Forerunner]

Those "backyard" chippers would likely do great, reducing junk mail, egg cartons and any cardboard you could fit through the hole.

If I had nothing but grass, I'd mulch heavily between rows of garden crops that enjoyed mulch.... and let enough of my grass dry some to where the C/N ratio would be improved when I mixed my dry grass 5 parts to one with green clippings.
Anything you can add to that mix will benefit your finished product.
Variety is good, but don't let monosource composting hold you back.

[Belfrybat]

Grass alone will be hard to work with as others have mentioned. But you say you have forest land -- why not rake up the leaves/ mulch from there? Too late now, but next fall let folks know you would like leaves if they rake and bag them. I get sawdust at a sawmill close by. I bag it and if needed, could haul it in the trunk. Breaks down to lovely compost with layers of shredded green in between.

I made a lasagna garden bed with pasture grass, both dry and green. Even though I used some peat moss between the layers it wasn't as fertile as the ones I did with mixed material.

[meanwhile]

Go read on the Extreme Composting link. It is at the top of the Homesteading section and I think it is at the top of the Survival and Prep section too. You can learn a lot from just reading those posts.

We compost paper: paper towels from kitchen use, kleenex, cardboard from food boxes. We just throw the kleenex and paper towels in with the kitchen food waste. We put the coffee grinds on top of the waste bowl and it wets the paper down to get it "started" so to speak.

Ask around and see if you can find a Tree Service to dump wood chips for you. We were so lucky for years to have a Tree Company that dumped tons and tons of wood chips for us. They stopped doing it but it was nice and we still have chip paths that last for years.

Ask and see if you can find a Farmer who has spoiled hay or straw. We have a source that lets the boys have the broken up rotten hay Free and one year we did pay 50 cents per bale for hay that was wet.

Good luck! Happy Composting.

[farmergirl]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Humanure

[Forerunner]

Humanure is already nitrogen-rich.

But, if there was a ready source of dry carbon to go with...............

[katydidagain]

I have, over the years, had nothing but grass or leaves and never both in the same year; I lived in the city so couldn't even compost my kitchen waste because it, according to the EX, would attract rats. It took time but I still improved my soil; 25 years after starting I had 18" of black gold in my tiny beds.

If you have only 1 type of "stuff", you need to add it to your existing beds as a mulch or dig it in; just about anything "breakdownable" you add to your soil will improve it IMO. Yes, you may have to fertilize to supplement but wasting part of the equation because you don't have B, C & D is not smart. Use what you have until you can implement the above suggestions--don't wait!

[OH Boy]

Add shredded newspaper and cardboard.

Maybe put some layers of soil on it too.

Go buy a square bale of straw or two.

Keep your eyes open for the tree trimming crews that chip up the tree limbs they cut up, you might be able to get a few pails of wood chips for free.

Could even buy a bag of hardwood mulch to add to it.

[Freya]

Do your neighbors have any animals? Maybe they might share the "brown gold" with you?


Is your forest pine? What about the pine needles?


Any plans to get some animals? Even just some chickens or bunnies?


What about worms/vermicomposting?

[MOgal]

Several posters have walked around the topic but I'd just sheet compost the grass until you have animals or could locate a source of manure, leaves, shredded paper, etc. Just layer the grass as it comes available on your garden space. The lower layers will rot in contact with the soil and earthworms will absolutely love it. I know some will say it will heat up around the plants and kill them. Well, I used to have mower fitted with a grass catcher and had no problems spreading the fresh clippings 3-4" deep in the garden straight from the grass catcher. I waited until the plants had a little size on them rather than tiny seedlings but it worked well for me. My philosophy is don't handle a material twice if once will do the job.

[Jenn]

Could you get shredded paper from someone? Neighbor/friend who works at hospital or other office who could bring you/ hold for you a few bags every few weeks? Great carbon.

[Oldcountryboy]

Don't forget a green manure crop in the fall. I haven't started doing this yet but have seen the results. In late summer/early fall till up your garden area and plant it all in green peas. When the pea vines are in full bloom, till it all under. This adds a lot nitrogen and organic matter into your soil.

[Shrek]

Grass only compost works great as long as you let it anerobically precompost and then run it through some worms for the finished product.

[ronbre]

i would suggest in the spring to take some large buckets or trugs into the forest..and remove small amounts of the already composted forest duff a small amount at a time from diverse areas..not all from one area..rake it lightly in a pile..leaving some still on the ground ..taking just a layer..putting it in the containers..

when you plant, mix some of this with the soil that you are putting into the holes or trenches where you plant, and use the grasses as a thick mulch over the surrounding area around the plants..do this for a couple of years and you'll have a thick composted area ..use leaves from your plants as a chop and drop type of mulch..sheet composting and put your food scraps around the plants as well..

you CAN get materials from neighbors but be very careful to find out if they use ANY chemicals on their property or if they have any diseases you could be bringing in..best if you KNOW their property hygiene..also watch for pet detrius.

[Danaus29]

I would use it as mulch on the garden. As long as you don't apply it too thick and it doesn't contain seeds it works great. Too thick would be more than 4 inches.

[jlrbhjmnc]

Originally Posted by Forerunner

Those "backyard" chippers would likely do great, reducing junk mail, egg cartons and any cardboard you could fit through the hole.

Ooh, cool! We have the junk mail covered but the cardboard and egg cartons were a puzzle. I bet we could rent one with the neighbors every so often... Who knew composting could use so much "modern" stuff??

[mnn2501]

Drive your local community (nearest town) during fall raking season and pick up the lawn bags before the grabage/recycle truck comes through.
Until then, I agree, use your lawn clippings as mulch around plants and between the rows in your garden, thats how I get by without having to weed my garden -- 4" of grass clippings.