Straw for compost pile - too much greens

[PeshB7]

Hi,

My compost pile used to the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen as I had loads of autumn leaves in it.

However the pile has started to get too much greens in it now and i have no leaves to balance out the ratio.

I was thinking of getting some straw from somewhere and use that to get the balance right again.

Anyone know which places sell it and how much it costs. Any other ideas for getting the balance back would be helpful too.

Thanks.

[nerobot]

Shredded paper works really well. That's what I use to balance mine out as it would have far too many greens otherwise.

Steven

[PeshB7]

As in shredded newspaper? Im just thinking i might need a hell of a lot of it to balance the pile out.

The greens from the kitchen just keep on coming!

[nerobot]

Doesn't have to be just shredded newspaper. I also put in all my shredded envelopes (with the plastic bits taken out), and old bills, etc. But it might still not be enough for you (though I seem to have too much some times).

Steven

[OverWyreGrower]

What about cardboard? I stick any plain boxes/card onto mind heaps, however, I do wet them first.

Or - do you know anyone with ducks/chickens/rabbits? They might have 'spare' straw, and it will be covered in poo too!

[glallotments]

We buy bales of straw from a local farm for about £2 a bale. We use it to mulch strawberries and also to cover our bed of dahlia tubers overwinter - then it goes on the compost heap!

[pdblake]

With greens from the kitchen I tend to peel/prepare over a sheet of newspaper then roll the whole lot into a ball and dump in the compost. Sort of takes care of itself

[OverWyreGrower]

With greens from the kitchen I tend to peel/prepare over a sheet of newspaper then roll the whole lot into a ball and dump in the compost. Sort of takes care of itself

I line my little compost caddy with newspaper and do the same!

[NOG]

Its an art not science. You only need to worry if its all grass.

Go to a local business and ask if they have any shredded paper.

I an now known as the mad green skinhead. and people leave bags of shredded paper (and grass) in my trailer. All I have to do is drive up the plot and unload.

[Two_Sheds]

With greens from the kitchen I tend to peel/prepare over a sheet of newspaper then roll the whole lot into a ball and dump in the compost. Sort of takes care of itself

That's what I do ... greens & browns all in one tidy parcel.

[NOG]

I get the paper bags from Nero/starbucks and use them in the caddy.

[terrier]

How about getting some chooks. They eat the excess greens and reward you with eggs and chicken manure for the compost heap. Winners all round

[pumpkin cuddler]

Hi

Do you have any stables near where you are??

We go to the stables not far from us, as long as we dig it out we can take as much free poo and straw. The straw has horse wee in it which we read was very good in the compost bin, will smell a bit to begin with, (as will your clothes) but it soon goes off. Though the clothes have to be washed to get the smell out phewww!!

Beware though sometimes people use wood shruff and we have read this is not good in the compost as it uses lots of nitrogen to rot and there could be lots of nasties as the process from the saw mills can be a little dodgy. Though I could be wrong on that.

[Bren In Pots]

I put a couple of handfuls of shredded paper in the bottom of my caddy it seems to make tipping it out easier.

[nerobot]

Bren: I tried that once and found that the shredder paper got stuck