Grass clippings

[estorms]

Growing up, we fed grass ensilage to our cows. It is chopped grass put into a silo. The first few days the smell is awful, but it calms down after a while. I put almost all the grass clippings on the compost pile. My garden takes priority over the lawn. I can always put some weed and feed on the lawn because I am not going to eat it. If you don't like the smell of two-day- old grass (it's bad) let it dry on the lawn, wait two days, set the cutting height on your mower at six inches, and go over it with the bagger. You get soft, dry grass. Very soft, fluffy, and smells good. I am all for doing everything the easy way. I pick up all the leaves the same way.
I haven't turned my compost piles in a while, (because of the snake I know is in there) but every time I think they won't hold any more, they settle and I can put more on. Wlhen I empty the kitchen scraps, I cover them with some grass so I won't have to look at eggshells and corn cobs.

[toxcrusadr]

I always keep leaves or wood shavings/sawdust in a wire bin next to the compost bin, to cover up kitchen scraps immediately. It keeps down the fruit files and other insects, and absorbs odors and nitrogen coming up out of the pile. I don't worry about it as much when adding an armload of pulled weeds or whatever, but kitchen scraps always get covered.

[estorms]

That is such a good idea. I have thought of getting a load of sawdust from the sawmill up the road. I don't have much of anything but grass and The sawdust would allow me to make layers. My garden is 1500 square feet and my lawn is about an acre. We have another seven acres that has to be cleared.

[toxcrusadr]

storms, when you have a batch of grass clippings, it's actually better (IMHO) to mix with sawdust or other browns rather than layering. Esp. with grass which can mat down and repel water. When it's compost makin time at my house, I use a big tarp and layer clippings, bags of leaves, sawdust, a coffee can of wood ash, whatever. Then pull one corner over to flip the pile onto itself. Keep doing this in different directions till it's fairly well mixed. Then grab armfuls and sprinkle into the bin, and the mixing will be complete. You'll get great compost and fast heating.