Hi!
I have 2 compost tumblers (love/hate relationship) but I'm in New York so nothing really breaks down in the winter. I added a wire (4 sides) compost bin to the backyard which holds a ton more stuff but also requires a ton more browns and I will run out of leaves way before the fall sends more. Is it okay to use *only* paper shredding in my bigger compost heap? Or do I still need to use leaves for browns?
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applestar
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Here in my suburban location, I use a significant portion of paper in my compost piles as well. I might be able to get more leaves if I tried, but I have deep distrust of other people’s fall leaves due to widespread liquid tank sprayer toting landscaper activities in my neighborhood.
There are some caveats when using paper goods as well and I think you do want to be mindful of what manufacturing and paper goods processing chemicals might have been used, overall presence inks and glues, possible contaminants due to fumigation, etc.
I sometimes supplement with bagged horse stall and chicken/livestock bedding which can be relatively reasonable and hopefully “safe” and are occasionally available for discounted sale price and/or free or reasonable shipping …or free delivery to store/pickup.
Before the pandemic, I used to get 55gal bags of fine Douglas pine shavings from a small local furniture maker who offered them as chemical free (pre-finished wood shavings) for …not free I think … I can’t remember … like a couple of bucks each. Located closer to the more rural corner of the county, they said people typically wanted them for livestock bedding. (I might call and see if they are still doing that….)
I never managed to try this, but there used to be a small local newspaper that I had heard you could get the end roll of the newsprint paper from.
There might be similar opportunities in your area as well.
…for winter as well as for when you have too much “green” ingredients, two other methods I would recommend looking into are vermicomposting with worms and bokashi “composting” (actually culturing). You do need an indoor space that you can use especially if other people in the household object. Worms need to be kept above freezing …about 45°F or above, and although bokashi will culture faster at room temperature in the 70’s ~ 80’s°F, it has a distinct odor — to me like lactofermented pickles like barrel pickles, kimchi or nukazuke. (I had to give up on keeping the bokashi bucket in the kitchen because my older daughter couldn’t stand it.
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There are some caveats when using paper goods as well and I think you do want to be mindful of what manufacturing and paper goods processing chemicals might have been used, overall presence inks and glues, possible contaminants due to fumigation, etc.
I sometimes supplement with bagged horse stall and chicken/livestock bedding which can be relatively reasonable and hopefully “safe” and are occasionally available for discounted sale price and/or free or reasonable shipping …or free delivery to store/pickup.
Before the pandemic, I used to get 55gal bags of fine Douglas pine shavings from a small local furniture maker who offered them as chemical free (pre-finished wood shavings) for …not free I think … I can’t remember … like a couple of bucks each. Located closer to the more rural corner of the county, they said people typically wanted them for livestock bedding. (I might call and see if they are still doing that….)
I never managed to try this, but there used to be a small local newspaper that I had heard you could get the end roll of the newsprint paper from.
There might be similar opportunities in your area as well.
…for winter as well as for when you have too much “green” ingredients, two other methods I would recommend looking into are vermicomposting with worms and bokashi “composting” (actually culturing). You do need an indoor space that you can use especially if other people in the household object. Worms need to be kept above freezing …about 45°F or above, and although bokashi will culture faster at room temperature in the 70’s ~ 80’s°F, it has a distinct odor — to me like lactofermented pickles like barrel pickles, kimchi or nukazuke. (I had to give up on keeping the bokashi bucket in the kitchen because my older daughter couldn’t stand it.
)Shredded paper works great but that would be more like the browns and extra greens or nitrogen fertilizer in combination will break all this down into compost. Worms help. Biggest thing is getting the temperature up above the 120-140 degrees or you get soggy shredded paper. I use newspaper in my mulching program along with straw and till it all under every fall. By spring it has formed some good organics. In my compost pile I put leaves, grass and straw.
Since inks in newsprint has been made from soy for many years, don't worry about ink on newsprint.
Since inks in newsprint has been made from soy for many years, don't worry about ink on newsprint.
Newspaper has a C:N ratio of 180:1 and a lot of lignin. Do not use glossy or colored paper if you can avoid it. Other alternatives would be paper napkins (no dyes or color added), coffee filters, dryer lint, straw (not hay) if you can get that from a farm supply, corn stalks, small twigs and branches, dried leaves, Brown paper packing material and corrugated cardboard without tape, glues, or waxy coatings, egg cartons made from paper pulp. Paper plates are compostable, but if it s heavily soiled with food, not a good idea as it will attract more vermin. Brown paper bags that your groceries are packed in if you are not bringing your own recylcing bags work too. My bin has been too wet so I added composted forest products, a.k.a, Kellogg's garden soil to wick up the moisture. Sawdust would work if it comes from wood that is not treated.