Best of all, composting your grass clippings means you’ll avoid spending money on hauling the clippings to a landfill (and as such, wasting perfectly good plant nutrients). ![]() They’re a truly organic way to give your plants some essential nutrients like potassium and phosphorous, and their presence in your compost pile won’t cause any harm to the soil’s organisms. Why compost clippings in the first place?īecause grass clippings are high in nitrogen (and available as long as you mow your lawn!) they’re a free, nutrient-rich source you can use on your garden beds. And bear in mind that even if you have the perfect mix of materials, composting still takes a while. A pile without the right balance will result in a slower breakdown. The best way to ensure a fast breakdown of materials is to keep your compost pile in a mostly perfect balance: equal parts nitrogen and carbon, and some moisture to help the process. If you’re looking for how to compost grass clippings quickly, you may not find your answer. Compost your grass clippings in thin layers and in a 2:1 ratio with a brown material to keep the balance.This will help speed the composting process along and introduce air into the pile. If you find your pile is full of grass clippings, give it a turn every few days with a proper tool.A layer that’s too thick won’t break down properly and could cause a foul odor.Īs long as you remain cautious about how many grass clippings you’re adding to the pile at any given time and make sure to balance the mixture with a brown material, you should be good to go! A couple tips to keep in mind: Be sure not to stuff them down into the bag or container when you’re adding them. Because grass clippings are mostly water, it’s very easy for them to be compacted when put in the pile. Special care should be taken with them, though. Grass clippings can be composted similar to any other nitrogen-rich material that can break down in a compost pile. The herbicides used in these spaces can take weeks to break down, and as such, they aren’t recommended for compost piles. However, caution should be taken when using grass clippings from farms or large venues like golf courses. Most herbicides, though, are legally required to be able to break down in a few days in order to be marked for use on lawns in residential areas. Are herbicides a concern?Ī common concern with composting yard clippings from a lawn that’s been treated with an herbicide is that they will cause harm to the compost pile. The next time you trim the yard, you can add equal amounts of the fresh clippings and the dried ones from last time. Trim the yard and set aside those clippings to dry out. Because dried-out yard clippings are considered to be a brown source instead of green, you could easily alternate when you add the clippings. When adding these to the compost pile, be sure to add a similar amount of a brown source (such as dry leaves or old, dried-out yard clippings). Ideally, you want a balanced mixture of nitrogen and carbon, and enough water to give the pile some moisture, but not so much that it gets soggy.įreshly cut yard clippings are a green source, meaning they’ll increase the amount of nitrogen in your compost pile. Every successful compost pile needs three things: nitrogen sources (greens), carbon sources (browns), and water. Knowing how to compost grass clippings starts with understanding what makes up a compost pile. If you’re interested in adding a rich source to your compost pile, though, press on! Dudarev Mikhail/Adobe Stock Know what kind of grass clippings you’re using
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