mainly grass compost

[scottyd]

hi every1 hope you can help me. Ive had compost bin for 2 years only really used it for grass cuttings but now dug out a veg garden and want to know if this compost would be any good as it is very slimy. (Having read some of the tips on here I kno to mix more browns in my compost now.)What I have done is mix some of my compost with soil out the garden and last years compost out of my tomatoe plants but don't know if this is any good.
thanx scott

[Dillbert]

Scott -

it's likely still good for working into the soil - but messy to handle.

in the autumn I chop up tree leaves and pile them up separately - that gives me a ready source of 'browns' to go with the 'greens' grass clippings in the summer.

[scottyd]

thanx Dillbert will dig into the garden asap and your right it is very messy and sticky
thanx scott

[gixxerific]

Maybe you could spread out the grass mulch and let it dry up a bit, become less slime before you add it. Maybe mix it up with some browns and let it sit for a day or 2 than do what you want with it.

[csibona]

Maybe you could spread out the grass mulch and let it dry up a bit, become less slime before you add it. Maybe mix it up with some browns and let it sit for a day or 2 than do what you want with it.

I do the same - I let the grass dry a bit before I put it in the composter (a tumbler). When I did not let it dry first the grass made my compost quite stinky.

[smokensqueal]

Well that's probably not really compost yet if it's slimy. It's probably more or less just moldy slimy grass clippings. If you do add it to your garden add it sparingly because it will start to decompose and to much and it will actually pull nutrients from the ground to decompose. but of course when it's done it will release even more back into the ground. If your really wanting to use it right now I would dry it out and use it more as a mulch. Or find a bunch of browns and mix them up and let it compost again before using it.

[rot]

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I have to concure with smokensqueal
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[jonnydclark]

Hi Scott,

I have a bagger on my mower and pile up the clippings. Originally I was hoping they would compost but have found they are more like mulch and don't break down quickly. I would avoid tilling them on the garden this time of year because they could rob the soil of Nitrogen (energy) to cause it to decompose. You could mulch between your rows with the grass clippings unless it is full of seeds. Then it would add to the carbon content if you tilled it under in the fall. If you keep it to the side a little chicken manure will give the nitrogen it needs to break down more quickly and turn into compost. Just my 2 cents.

Jon