low odour grass composting station: build or buy? links, tips wanted

"bent" wrote in news:1178212163 snipped-for-privacy@sp12lax.superfeed.net:

Toronto isn't San Francisco, but here's what I've done:

Part of my back fence is a concrete block wall. I built side slats from scrap 2x6 PT, old, about 5' wide, and 3' tall. Grass cuttings, trimmings from the garden and the kitchen, and occasional barrels of woodshop dust collector trimmings go into the pile. I turn it every three to six weeks, and empty the bin every spring into the raised beds. Works pretty well. No obnoxious odor or critters. The hot tub is 15' away, though. ;-)

The dust collector can overwhelm the compost bin, if I let it, so some of that goes directly to much for weed control or mud/dust coverage.

I am religious about some things, but composting is easier than ignoring politicians...

Patriarch

"bent" wrote in news:1178212163 snipped-for-privacy@sp12lax.superfeed.net:

Our compost pile doesn't seem to emit that much odor, and it's all grass, weeds, and bits of food scraps. It's just a pile on the ground, but for aesthetics you'd probably do good to build a border of some kind around yours. Another reason to build a border is that when someone's mowing they don't have to attempt to discern where the pile ends and the lawn begins.

Once you get your compost pile started and going, it'll start working relatively quickly. It just takes a while with no added assistance to get it going.

You might want to take a look at the rec.gardens hierarchy of Usenet.

Puckdropper

"Puckdropper" wrote

I have had a number of compost piles that were just holes in the ground. And no matter what I threw in them, they never filled up. It just kept digesting things. Of course, I removed some of the completed compost from time to time.

I like this answer. I don't know if I'll have a lot, a little, enough, not enough dirt. I wonder if I could have a combination inground/aboveground unit? I could just as easily attempt something like this as something to fall back on, maybe if it takes to long to turn to dirt. Its gonna ruin the surface anyway. I'll have to research this all again first, but its good to have options. Its a necessity. Any other comments like depth, size, heat, turning, etc. wrt your experience with this type of hole?

Why two bins? Is that for two stages? Does this speed up dirt production? I need a greater idea of construction, are you suggesting open to the elements? A frame with wire enclosure?

If I don't get a solid idea of what I'm doing I may just end up starting with garbage cans. I was talking with a neighbor who said its taken him now two years and no dirt yet. I'm betting the heat is critical to any set-up, and I'll definitely take this into primary consideration. And with high heat, good usable dirt is assured in one season!! I have to re-acquaint myself with the process, but I've got grass already. Seems sawdust is a common item coming from the wreck. Something that probably works fine for the formula. Can you comment on location, size of can and holes, type of holes, colour of can, lid on /lid off, how efficient. I bet a dark colour garbage can with a lid is a very good unit. Have you experimented, found it necessary to use more than one can, for stages, or other reasons?

I found that it is easier to turn the pile with two bins, although this is not necessary. Speed of composting increases when you have a

: If I don't get a solid idea of what I'm doing I may just end up : starting with garbage cans. I was talking with a neighbor who : said its taken him now two years and no dirt yet.

Another approach is to use earth worms. Earth worms will also convert organic material (grass, leaves, wood, paper, kitchen scraps, etc) into dirt, but they don't heat up the dirt and they don't smell. In my experience, they don't convert teh material as fast as a good compost bin, but they are pretty fool-proof. They will work in almost any size container; some people keep a plastic bin under the sink for kitchen scraps. The worms need air, water, shelter from the sun, and they like a little calcium (egg shells or tums).

You can just use the worms you find around, or you can buy them. Search for "vermiculture" on the web for detailed advice. Don't buy any fancy equipment or bins unless you like buying things - it's easy to make something. Most of the suggested designs for compost bins will also work for worms (including the hole in the ground). As long as the worms are happy they won't wander off.

Good luck,

--- Chip

bent wrote: : I just happen to be here in the wreck, and was about the open IE and enter : "grass composting forum" , with words like low-odour, etc.

: I have about 1700 sq. ft. of lawn I cut weekly, and I need to create a : composter, for grass only.

The radio show, "You Bet Your Garden" just fielded a question about how to compost grass without making a smelly mess. Their answer: "don't compost grass!". Instead, get a mulching mower that cuts the grass into very small pieces without a bag, and just leave the cut grass to be absorbed back into the lawn. This will reduce the need to add fertilizer to your lawn, and won't make a smelly mess. If you don't have a mulching mower, just take the bag off your regular mower and let the grass clippings fertilize the lawn directly.

The caller kept asking, "but what can I add to the grass compost pile so it won't smell?" and the host kept responding, "don't put the grass into a pile!"

Compost requires four elements: air, water, carbon, and nitrogen. Grass is very high in nitrigen, like manure and kitchen scraps. That's why it stinks, just like manure and garbage stinks if you just piled it up. Carbon comes from fall leaves and woody plants. If you absolutely must compost the grass, mix it with fall leaves, sawdust, or fallen branches (preferably run through a chipper). I've heard that you get better compost if you let the wood sit for a while before composting it; fresh wood binds with the nitrogen in a way that can't be easily used by plants.

Some people save their fall leaves so that they can mix them with their grass clippings to make compost.

I don't know why we're talking compost in rec.woodworking when there perfectly good gardening newsgroups, but I'm willing to play along.

--- Chip