Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: stompy on April 20, 2006, 19:56

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: stompy on April 20, 2006, 19:56

Hi guys, can anyone tell me if its ok to put grass cuttings straight on to my soil as a mulch, or do i have to compost them down first.
Also i have only had my allotment for about a month, i have got some fresh manure in my newly constructed, pallet compost corner, but have nothing to dig into my plot as the manure needs about 6 months to rot down, any sugestions to what i can use this year to dig in would be much apreciated   :?:   :?

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: noshed on April 20, 2006, 21:36

I think you can use them as a mulch OK - helps to keep down the weeds and hold in the moisture. If you compost them you have to put in a bit of woody stuff with them to get the air to circulate otherwise they go all slimy.
I've had the same problem with lack of compost but I was just turning over my heap tonight (I really know how to enjoy myself) and there was quite a lot rotted down just in the last month.
If your soil is reasonably loamy just use a bit of blood fish and bone when you're planting stuff.
Hope this helps

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: stompy on April 20, 2006, 21:47

cheers noshed, will start to collect all neighbours and family members clippings.  :)
My soil is mainly clay  :x
My heap hasn't started to rot yet, so its just grass. :!:

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 20, 2006, 21:50

Word of warning on grass clippings - check they haven't used 'Weed 'n' Feed' or any selective weed killers because they will kill your crops if they have.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: Jake on April 20, 2006, 21:52

When I added a load of grass clipings to the composter it really seemed to take off. I have to admit the weather had got warmer at the same time.

In it I had loads of couch grass, other weeds and kitchen waste as well as some twigs, although the twigs were more randomly put in rather than knowing about air flow.The grass clipings really seemed to help though, it doesn't smell so bad now and seems to have started breaking down.

I think you need a good mix of stuff in there.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: Jake on April 20, 2006, 21:53

Quote from: "john"

Word of warning on grass clippings - check they haven't used 'Weed 'n' Feed' or any selective weed killers because they will kill your crops if they have.

 :shock:  I hadn't read that. It wasn't from my garden either.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 20, 2006, 22:02

Composting contaminated grass clippings for 9 months makes them safe - it's fresh ones you need to be cautious with.

Amazingly many people just keep cutting the lawn and don't even feed them. Incidentally, calcified seaweed is good for lawns - raises the pH and encourages micro bacterial action.  It's safe if you've got kids or pets on there as well.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: stompy on April 20, 2006, 22:04

no weed and feed, just mangy grass.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: Jake on April 20, 2006, 22:10

Phew< now thats a relief> i pressed shift for a long time and now i can"t do punctuation< sorry>:oops:

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 20, 2006, 22:22

Have you tried re-booting?

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: Jake on April 21, 2006, 08:56

I did reboot and that sorted the problem, what a strange function!

Amazing that people don't feed their expensive lawns, especially with turf so pricey.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 21, 2006, 09:13

If you watched the IT Crowd on C4 (comedy about computer support) they had a tape that said "Hello, IT. Have you tried switching it off and on?" :)

Lawns are treated just like carpets that you have to mow by many people. To keep a lawn looking really well requires more work than growing vegetables. The obvious thing to do is to dig them up and plant potatoes :)

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: twysted1 on April 21, 2006, 13:11

we just got some snakes as pets and we use a wood chip substrate in the vivarium, would these clippings be ok to use in my compost?

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 21, 2006, 15:05

Can't see any reason why not. I had Cecil the grass snake living in my leafmould last year.

What sort of snakes?

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: twysted1 on April 22, 2006, 15:06

we have two baby rat snakes. they are about 18 inches long at the moment but will grow to about 6 feet. they are very cute looking one is quite docile called tess and the other is very aggresive hence the name stroppy.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 23, 2006, 11:37

6 foot  - wow!

Think I'll stick to my moggies though, bit more cuddly.

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 23, 2006, 14:05

Last year the bottom of our garden got to be really long grass.  (Can't really call it a lawn) and OH and I cut it and just stacked it up.  OH said that'll turn into compost, but of course it hasn't, and when I looked at it yesterday, its surprisingly dry and there's no chemicals on it, so I carted a load on my trolley and used it as a mulch around my fruit bushes.  Still loads there so when I get my poly on my tunnel and get my tomatoes in, would it be ok to use under them to help keep them moist?

Title: grass cuttings
Post by: John on April 23, 2006, 22:53

I would have thought so -  surprised it hasn't rotted down though - must be very dry where it was stacked.