Can I compost turf?

[reddy246174]

I've been digging up a part of my garden for a few beds. Just wondering whether I can put grass, clods of topsoil and weeds into my compost bin? I'm gonna try to get most of weeds out though. Thanks in advance.

[TEB]

I would put the topsoil and the weeds as long as they are not perennial or you get your heap hot enough to do for them, with the grass if its a small amount I might put it in but usually leave it stacked green side down somewhere.

[Alice]

Hello Reddy and welcome to the Vine. I wouldn't put it in the compost bin. It might not get hot enogh in there to rot down weed roots. I would find a corner not being used for anything else. Stack the whole lot there green side down. Leave it for a year and you'll have beautiful stuff. You might have a few greeen bits and obvious roots - might have - but other than that it will be beautiful stuff. You could use it for seed compost.
What are you growing ?

[terrier]

The turf I took off my lawn last year for the veg patch, I stacked against a wall in the garden, I have just used it in my flower borders. It went on just luvly.

[Snadger]

The turf I took off my lawn last year for the veg patch, I stacked against a wall in the garden, I have just used it in my flower borders. It went on just luvly.

All the old gardening books advocate 'fibrous loam' for pottimg compost.

Thats what you have created!

[valmarg]

My dad used to make his own seed/potting/multipurpose compost.

He used to buy some old turves, and stack them grass side down. When the grass growth had rotted, he used to riddle the turves. To the riddled turves he used to add peat and silver sand. I cannot remember the ratios of riddled turves to peat to silver sand, but the resultant compost was fantastic.

It certainly knocked the spots off anything you can buy today!!! Rough rubbish that it is!!!

valmarg

PS for riddled read sieved.

[Snadger]

My dad used to make his own seed/potting/multipurpose compost.

He used to buy some old turves, and stack them grass side down. When the grass growth had rotted, he used to riddle the turves. To the riddled turves he used to add peat and silver sand. I cannot remember the ratios of riddled turves to peat to silver sand, but the resultant compost was fantastic.

It certainly knocked the spots off anything you can buy today!!! Rough rubbish that it is!!!

valmarg

PS for riddled read sieved.

John Innes formulae!

[nick the grief]

7 parts loam
3 parts Peat
2 parts sand
then 2oz of JI base fertiliser to the bushel (35litre) for JI1, 4oz for JI2 and 6 oz for JI3 wonderful stuff you whack it.