jeffb
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Composting for lawn care - need advice

There is tons of information on composting for use in gardening, but very little about using it just for lawn care.

I live in the Pacific Northwest. I have a medium sized lawn with a mostly clay soil base and would like information on composting in order to support my grass and a few flowering bushes. The problem is that I live in town and have a Home Owners Association that will likely not allow a large compost bin, so I need to be discreet.

Most of my compostable material is "green" - lawn trimmings and food scraps. I can add paper and/or cardboard to provide the "browns".

What type of composting bin would you recommend? Also...can I sprinkle the finished product on my lawn and rake it in every few months?

Any advice is welcome. I have researched this quite a bit, but am still struggling to get started.

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rainbowgardener
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Here:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 35&t=56957

is a thread about compost bins with pictures of different types. They sell the plastic bins commercially. I have one and it works fine. As you can see in the picture, it is quite discreet. If you need more, you can just plant some ornamental grass or something in front to screen it.

toxcrusadr
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You could short-circuit the bin and the work of spreading the compost, by using a mulching mower and letting those clippings decompose right on the lawn. 8) I don't even use a mulching blade, I just let the clippings fly out the side chute. If you plan your route around the yard, you can avoid shooting them into flower beds, sidewalks and street.

jeffb
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toxcrusadr wrote:You could short-circuit the bin and the work of spreading the compost, by using a mulching mower and letting those clippings decompose right on the lawn. 8) I don't even use a mulching blade, I just let the clippings fly out the side chute. If you plan your route around the yard, you can avoid shooting them into flower beds, sidewalks and street.
Thank you. I do mulch in when I mow. I just am starting to dislike the thought of sending EVERYTHING to the land fill.

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rainbowgardener
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[quote="jeffb] I just am starting to dislike the thought of sending EVERYTHING to the land fill.[/quote]

Terrific! everyone needs to pay more attention to that. I send almost nothing to the landfill. Between the two of us we put one kitchen garbage bag in the trash a week, usually. Everything else gets recycled, composted, reused... I compost everything I can. The more stuff you have for your compost pile, the better it works.



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