[garddwr]

What do you use as 'brown' compost material this time of year, there is plenty of g'green' stuff coming from the kitchen and from the lawn e.t.c but no leaves falling and no prunings and twigs e.t.c . My compost is wet and just one big "sluch" and it smells. I think I'll have to use a nose peg on the weekend and empy it and brake it up a bit.
What do you think ?
Thanks

[gawk]

What about using some cardboard or newspaper?

[Ice]

I use egg boxes, toilet roll middles, torn up cardboard and shredded local papers.  I find grass clippings to be amongst the worst for producing a slimy layer that stops water penetrating so a lot of that goes in the council green bin.  Turning the pile is the only solution I have come up with so far.

[garddwr]

I will try using that but would  it be enough ?  And if I do empty it do I use a 50/50 mix of newspaper/carboard/egg boxes e.t.c and then mix it with the current content ?

Thanks

[garddwr]

I use egg boxes, toilet roll middles, torn up cardboard and shredded local papers.  I find grass clippings to be amongst the worst for producing a slimy layer that stops water penetrating so a lot of that goes in the council green bin.  Turning the pile is the only solution I have come up with so far.

Thanks Ice

Do you have one of those tumbler things ? Or do you use a fork ? I only manage to turn the top layers or I end up opening my hands on the sharp rim and just can't turn the wet bit to the top as I would like !

[Ice]

I have a couple of 'dalek' bins.  I keep one empty and just remove the bin from one and fork it into the other.

I think that layering and turning are the most important thing when it comes to making good compost.

[RichardA]

Bit of straw either buy it in or see if any neighbours have rabbit hutches, ducks etc.
I also use paper shreddings from office.

[Eatyourgreens]

I turned my heap over today, it is a standard home made pallet system and although it has plenty of greens in grass, hedge and seaweed, the heap is fine down to scrunched up cardboard well mixed up with the greens.


Bob

[compostqueen]

I dry my greens, spread them out on the lotty and let the wind get at them. We've had plenty of dry, windy days to do this. 

Too many grass cuttings will make it stink so dry them a bit as above or make sure too add them in thinnish layers or they sit there not breaking down.  Adding bog and kitchen roll middles is a good plan 

I turn mine when I get time, just fork it out into the barrow, lift it a few times with a fork and bung it back. You can always lift it a bit without taking it out, say with a walking stick or longish pole.  I broddle a hole right through it to get some air in and make sure it's not got stuck.

[Christine]

My cure is pigeon poo - works a treat as a brown and I've got some nice friends. 

[Dekzion]

Amazon packaging! rip it up and bung it in.
I have plastic pallet setup with three 'bins' I use a long steel pole to shove through the pallet and heave it about by levering it.

[Kleftiwallah]

Hello compost queen,
 "Adding bog and kitchen roll middles is a good plan"   
I use my tubes for the leeks (and never have enough).  [/i]
Cheers,  Tony.

[Subversive_plot]

Please note:  This thread started back in 2009.
While the topic may be of interest again today, replies to old individual posts may be falling on deaf ears. 

[pepsi100]

I bought a shredder from Amazon, that could shred cardboard and all the boxers you get from them, old letters, the fre newspapers, junk mail

I have a hot bin, so pretty much everything goes in there, they say you can put food waste, but I've never tried it

It seems to grow a white fungus as it starts rotting, I have been told this is normal

When I cut the grass, I put that into a black bag, then everything in the shredder, give it all a good mix up, I probably use a bit too much paper/cardboard, because I never get any 'liquid gold' leaking from it (no idea what that even means)

When I open the panel at the bottom, I scrape it out, it is very wet, but no smell, spread it out, dry it, then sieve it, bag up the good stuff, what hasnt rotted away goes back in the bin

During the winter its just paper/cardboard that goes in there, plus whatever veg waste we accumalate

[cc]

I use about 90% grass cuttings mixed with sawdust. Always ready for use the next year. No slime whatsoever.
Obviously you have to find a sawmill that will give or sell it you.
Used to use chainsaw chipping but they take considerable longer to rot down.