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Making compost-would this work?

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Posted by squirejohn 4 (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 4, 11 at 6:30

I have a 5 acre weed field mostly comprised of thin grass spp. that I mow once or twice a year. Could I make compost by mowing some of the field and letting it dry for a week or so (browns) and then cutting fresh grass (greens) and mixing both in a pile? Do you think the pile would heat up?

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RE: Making compost-would this work?

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That depends. Hay is a type of grass that after curing, the drying you want to do, is still very high in protein and has a low Carbon to Nitrogen ratio. Straw, another type of grass, is not cut until the seed heads are ripe and the nitrogen in the stalks is very low.
If you cut that grass while still green it may well be more like the hay then the straw.

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RE: Making compost-would this work?

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Just pile the cut grass add a bit of water and it WILL compost just fine all by itself. No need to dry it first.

Come back the next day and you will see the pile is already heating up. Dig into the pile and you will see the gray spots where it is heating up. Put your hand closer to feel the heat.

Good Luck

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RE: Making compost-would this work?

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Thanks - Cut and piled some and will do more tomorrow.

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RE: Making compost-would this work?

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  • Posted by jolj 7b/8a-S.C.,USA (My Page) on
    Thu, Jul 7, 11 at 19:00

gumby ct, is right!
I have been doing this for years,with weeds & grass.
When I have time, I some time, I add a few leaves/leaf mold from the hedgerow.
But it is not needed to get good compost.
No, in 40 years of piling fresh green weeds up at the end of the garden, never have I seen a fire or ash from a fire in the compost pile.

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