Composting grass clippings on their own. Is it possible

[littlemoney]

I have lots of grass clippings, 300 square yards of grass, but nothing else to add to it for most of the year. The only other garden waste I have is shrub pruings from euonymus, laurel. I produce very little kitchen waste. I don't have a shredder.

Rather than putting the grass into my green waste bin is there any way I can compost it. Previous attempts have just produced a wet mush. Thanks.

[broadway]

I think you can use it as a mulch, I assume someone with more knowledge will reply soon:-)

[burnie]

You cannot compost just one item, there has to be a mixture, I add quite a lot of grass in my bin, but also veg peelings, tops/stems from the kitchen along with some shredded paper, there is a formula, but I have never followed one.

[toomanytommytoes]

Needs some dry, high carbon material mixed in otherwise the grass clippings mat together and go anaerobic. You could use the clippings as a mulch: I use them around rhubarb, apple trees, fruit bushes, raspberries, big plants like brassicas and squash and as a top dressing for tomato/pepper/cucumber pots in the greenhouse.

[Logunner]

It would need turning regularly, every few days or so at first.

A big help would be ripped up card, cardboard and scrunched up paper to add browns and air pockets.

[Bren In Pots]

I also use mine as a mulch plus it’s handy to top up container grown potatoes along with shredded paper.

[quanglewangle]

Grass will compost alone but needs *lots* of turning to prevent matting - like daily. With frequent turning the heap will heat quickly and give good compost quite quickly. Even better if you add a *little* high-nitrogen fertilizer such as Nitram, if you can get hold of it, or urea. Don't over do this or it will catch fire!

[ameno]

Mixing in a few shovels of soil helps. The soil helps to aerate the pile, absorb excess water, and introduces microbes to rot the grass.

[PyreneesPlot]

I'm another mulcher - hedges, trees, veg beds, fruit bushes ...

[Greenleaves]

Just grass produces silage.... doesn't it ?

[quanglewangle]

Just grass produces silage.... doesn't it ?

No, silage is grass fermented without any oxygen. A little molasses is added to help the fermentation. My dog has a taste for it and will steal it from cows. Dog digestion isnt built for it though.

[rary]

Why don't you put some cardboard and newspapers down when you are cutting the grass, that way you get a mix of greens and Brown's (nitrogen and carbon)as for the clippings they can be spread over your lawn and cut up with a lawnmower, I have a shredder but I still spread the thinner material down and run the lawnmower over it, by the way use lots of cardboard/paper if you can

[quanglewangle]

^^ actually, spreading stuff out on the grass and mowing it up is not a bad substitute to shedding if you dont have a shredder

[Deltawhiskey]

I use sawdust for pet bedding. Mixed through the grass cuttings before it’s put in the bin. Works very well and more importantly the sawdust is form untreated wood.

Delta

[littlemoney]

Thanks for the comments. I don't have any cardboard or paper I could use and no shredder. Could I add shrub prunings from Euonymus Japonicus and Lonicera Nitida (shrubby honeysuckle) to the grass as "browns" or dont shrub prunings count. I was told some time ago that laurel should not be composted which is the other hedge I have lots of.