![]() There’s much debate on what to do exactly with grass clippings from a pesticide-treated lawn. What if My Grass Clippings Have Pesticides? You should turn your compost one to two times a week to evenly aerate the pile and speed up the process. When you turn it, this is when you should add in more of your grass clippings. Keep Turningĭon’t forget to keep turning your compost to circulate the airflow throughout the pile. You’ll also want to use thin layers of grass clippings in between the bigger layers of brown material. To avoid the mess, you’ll want to mix the grass clippings into a large amount of brown material, such as shredded leaves. Due to the finely cut pieces and because grass is 80% water, there is very little room for air to circulate, and the resulting trapped moisture fuses the clippings together in a bad way. When cut grass is piled up, it forms a dense mat that kills the microbes your compost needs. ![]() If you try to compost just grass clippings alone, without a “brown” mixed in, you can end up with a smelly, and a very hot pile of green mess. Regardless of wet or dry, grass clippings provide your compost with a great source of nitrogen to help break things down faster. Fresh clippings are best because dry clippings are lower in nitrogen. The biggest benefit of using grass clippings in your compost pile is how quickly it will heat up because of the higher levels of nitrogen. This is usually around 130☏ (54☌) or higher. In order to effectively break down the material in a compost pile, the internal temperature needs to reach high enough to kill any harmful pathogens. Why Compost Grass Clippings?Īs mentioned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, using compost in your garden provides your plants with an abundance of rich and healthy soil to help them thrive. Dead leaves are considered the “browns.” These leaves are high in carbon, which are broken down by the microbes. Grass clippings are considered a “green.” This means they are high in nitrogen and feed the microbes that live in the compost. Composting is typically done using water, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Keeping and maintaining a compost pile can have significant benefits to the soil in your garden. Let’s take a closer look at the best way to compost your clippings below. Turn once per week with a shovel, and you’re done! Once this bed is made, add your grass clippings to the top of the pile, and cover them with water and food scraps. The best way to compost grass clippings is to make a “base” layer with dried twigs, finished compost, and water. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of grass clippings you get from it. In the warmer months, mowing the grass is an important step for good lawn maintenance.
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