Posted: 6/28/2009 6:30:13 PM EDT
| I mulch my raised beds heavily all spring, summer, and fall (8" per year). The past 2 years the garden has done well. I have been using green grass clippings. This year I started to use straw in some of the beds. Is there a preference to which would be better? I am worried the grass may remove too much nitrogen as it breaks down. Would the straw have the same concern? |
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I mulch my raised beds heavily all spring, summer, and fall (8" per year). The past 2 years the garden has done well. I have been using green grass clippings. This year I started to use straw in some of the beds. Is there a preference to which would be better? I am worried the grass may remove too much nitrogen as it breaks down. Would the straw have the same concern? Lots of people use grass clippings and have no problems with it. In fact, grass clippings have a lot of nitrogen in them, so there is no need to worry about them removing nitrogen from the soil. There really is not much difference between grass clippings and straw except that the straw is taller and dried out. If it makes you feel better, let the grass clippings dry out for a few days before using them as mulch. IMO, the only bad thing about using grass clippings as mulch is that sometimes you get unsightly fungus that grows on the green grass clippings. I don't think it hurts anything though as long as the grass clippings are not right up against the stems of your plants. Green grass can get quite hot when it starts to compost, and the heat and moisture right up against the stems of your plants is not good for it. An inch or so of clearance is a good idea. |
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We used grass clippings when I was a kid. My dad said it worked okay but if you put too much down it would make a mat as it settles that the water had a hard time getting through.
I'm going to use a mix of straw and grass to see how that works. My sandy soil is really nice, but the sun bakes the top few inches dry as a bone. |
With grass you will see an intitial increase in N in the soil, then as it begins to break down, you will see a N deficit. You will eventually need to supplement a little probably, but there's nothing wrong with using either grass clippings or straw as long as you don't get a lot of seeds in there with it. (I got seeds in my straw this year. )The straw should help keep the grass from turning into a mat, which it will do if you put too much. Just watch your plants. If they start looking a little pale, know that you're in the phase where the organic matter breakdown is starting to suck the extra N. Then add some. |
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We used grass clippings when I was a kid. My dad said it worked okay but if you put too much down it would make a mat as it settles that the water had a hard time getting through. Same problem I was having. My main issue with continued use. This year I went dow to about 4" of grass. |
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We used grass clippings when I was a kid. My dad said it worked okay but if you put too much down it would make a mat as it settles that the water had a hard time getting through. Same problem I was having. My main issue with continued use. This year I went dow to about 4" of grass. Originally posted by Kitties with Sigs:
With grass you will see an intitial increase in N in the soil, then as it begins to break down, you will see a N deficit. You will eventually need to supplement a little probably, but there's nothing wrong with using either grass clippings or straw as long as you don't get a lot of seeds in there with it. What do you suggest. |
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Suggest? Do you mean for fertilizer or what? If the fertilization issue is what you're asking, just choose your favorite source of nitrogen and be prepared to add a little when you see the plants getting pale. That'll be your clue. It's possible that it won't happen, if your grass was fertilized regularly, but most of the time with any organic material (other than manure) you'll see a cycle of increased fertility as the nitrogen leaches out of the clippings and into the soil and is taken up by the plants, then you'll see the plants start to pale out a little––which is when the bacteria in the soil start to break down the clippings and use up all the nitrogen in the process. At that point you'll need to add some supplemental nitrogen. Not too much at a time. Try it in small lots. Nitrogen is really easy to overdo and then you get burn. So just have something on hand to use as a nitrogen supplement and watch the plants. You'll know if you need it. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted...not sure what you're asking specifically. Oh, and I should add this... Grass clippings are kind of weird. Y'all have already mentioned some issues (matting, for instance) that can happen with using grass clippings. One other thing is that they can kind of turn into almost a solid mass––they get kind of hard and crusty and not only do they prevent water penetration (think thatch on a roof, which is basically what's happening in this instance) but they also don't ineract with the soil––the bottom of the grass layer is almost as solid as the top––so they can kind of seal off the soil from air and you can create an anaerobic situation because no air is getting to the soil. You may know this already, but I'll put it here for those who may not...when you smell a compost pile, or a pile of anything that's basically rotting––it stinks––that's anaerobic bacteria in action (usually). That's a type of bacteria that does not use air in its process of breaking down organic matter. It creates a slimy, yucky, stinky blech. YOu don't want that. You don't want it in your compost pile, which is why you turn the pile––to get air in there––and you don't want it in your garden. The good bacteria that you want working in your garden is the kind that uses air as it breaks down organic material––your compost, or mulch. So sometimes when you use a mulch like grass clippings and it forms a mat, you'll get some anaerobic activity and that's not good. So it's kind of a good thing to go in there with a spading fork or a hoe and just chop around in that mulch layer a little––make sure the grass clippings are actually making contact with the soil, and make sure there are ways air can get in there (as well as water) so the good (aerobic) bacteria can do its thing and break the clippings down and turn them into a good soil supplement. Okay, is that clear as mud? Or did it make sense? kitties |
| I put clippings around half of my asparagus bed and straw around the other half. The half with the clippings is turning halfway yellow while the straw side is still green. I think I need to head out with some fish emulsion this weekend. next yea I will go with just straw. Thanks |
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This will eventually happen with the straw as well. But the straw breaks down much more slowly, usually. This slower breakdown spreads out the nitrogen use over a much longer period. So it's usually not as noticeable and doesn't affect the plants immediately this way. DUX4Life, just compost those grass clippings, then you'll have them by the end of the season or next season, and you won't be losing the use of them. One thing I did not mention and probably should have is this.. A lot of people use lots of chemicals on their lawns. Insecticides, herbicides (weed killer) etc. If you put grass that has been treated with these chemicals on your garden, you are putting those chemicals on your garden. Most veggies are broad leaf plants. So if you've treated your lawn with a broadleaf weed killer, and then you put the grass on your garden, you're putting herbicide on your veggie plants. I know most people realize this, but it bears saying, since there's always someone about who does NOT know. kitties |
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One thing I did not mention and probably should have is this.. A lot of people use lots of chemicals on their lawns. Insecticides, herbicides (weed killer) etc. If you put grass that has been treated with these chemicals on your garden, you are putting those chemicals on your garden. Most veggies are broad leaf plants. So if you've treated your lawn with a broadleaf weed killer, and then you put the grass on your garden, you're putting herbicide on your veggie plants. I know most people realize this, but it bears saying, since there's always someone about who does NOT know. kitties Yeah, that was the one stipulation I had was the no chemical rule. quote]Quoted:This will eventually happen with the straw as well. But the straw breaks down much more slowly, usually. This slower breakdown spreads out the nitrogen use over a much longer period. So it's usually not as noticeable and doesn't affect the plants immediately this way. DUX4Life, just compost those grass clippings, then you'll have them by the end of the season or next season, and you won't be losing the use of them. kitties[/quote] I'm still learning about composting. My pile needs work but time is not available. That will be my focus this fall. Just got another call for a swarm so I will get it tomorrow if I can get another set of boxes from my supplier. That gives me 6 complete hives this spring. Maybe add more next year if time permits. |
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If you are concerned about adding nitrogen back, go to any coffee shop and pick up as much of their used grounds as they will let you have –– that's usually a lot. Spread thinly over the mulch. Worms love coffee grounds, they have a lot of nitrogen, and they make the whole fungal activity in the soil go bananas, which is great for decomposition.
Did I mention that this stuff is free? Just have a care –– wet grounds are heavy. You should get some large rubbermaid containers and don't fill them all the way up. |
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Quoted: I'm still learning about composting. My pile needs work but time is not available. Yes, well...join the crowd. My pile is just a bunch of sticks at this point––waiting for some kind of compost to be placed upon it. We just do what we can, ya know? Life and stuff...it happens to the best of us. 
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I'll give the grounds a try. Thanks Another thing that I have found will give the decomposition a kick is a weak solution of agricultural molasses sprayed everywhere. That does seem to make the soil a little more lively. And it's cheap. My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material. |
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I'll give the grounds a try. Thanks Another thing that I have found will give the decomposition a kick is a weak solution of agricultural molasses sprayed everywhere. That does seem to make the soil a little more lively. And it's cheap. My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material. That may well work. Lots of things can be mulched if you maximize surface area, keep them moist and areated, and make sure that bugs want to snack on them. Some of the most amazing tomatoes that I ever saw came from a mulch of chopped corncobs and coffee grounds. The only problem was keeping the dogs from snacking on the coffee-ground-covered chopped sweet corn cobs and then running around like lunatics all day. |
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My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material.
You want to use liquid molasses. You can get Black Strap at most grocery stores, but I find it cheaper to get at a Feed Store if you have one by you. At the Feed Store I pay about $.25 per pound. Either way the liquid molasses will work a lot better than the dried molasses. Just make sure that if you get it from a Feed Store that it is un-sulphered. |
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My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material.
You want to use liquid molasses. You can get Black Strap at most grocery stores, but I find it cheaper to get at a Feed Store if you have one by you. At the Feed Store I pay about $.25 per pound. Either way the liquid molasses will work a lot better than the dried molasses. Just make sure that if you get it from a Feed Store that it is un-sulphered. In Texas people also don't spread molasses if the temperature is over 90 degrees, normally. I don't know if that's an old wife's tail or not. |
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My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material.
You want to use liquid molasses. You can get Black Strap at most grocery stores, but I find it cheaper to get at a Feed Store if you have one by you. At the Feed Store I pay about $.25 per pound. Either way the liquid molasses will work a lot better than the dried molasses. Just make sure that if you get it from a Feed Store that it is un-sulphered. In Texas people also don't spread molasses if the temperature is over 90 degrees, normally. I don't know if that's an old wife's tail or not. Isn't it always over 90 degrees in Texas??? |
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My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material.
You want to use liquid molasses. You can get Black Strap at most grocery stores, but I find it cheaper to get at a Feed Store if you have one by you. At the Feed Store I pay about $.25 per pound. Either way the liquid molasses will work a lot better than the dried molasses. Just make sure that if you get it from a Feed Store that it is un-sulphered. How much molasses for a 100 sq. ft. bed? |
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My brother talked about using molasses to stimulate microbial activity. I thought about buying the 50 lbs sacks of "dried molasses food additive" and tilling that into the beds. Seems like it would also add organic material.
You want to use liquid molasses. You can get Black Strap at most grocery stores, but I find it cheaper to get at a Feed Store if you have one by you. At the Feed Store I pay about $.25 per pound. Either way the liquid molasses will work a lot better than the dried molasses. Just make sure that if you get it from a Feed Store that it is un-sulphered. In Texas people also don't spread molasses if the temperature is over 90 degrees, normally. I don't know if that's an old wife's tail or not. Isn't it always over 90 degrees in Texas??? Not in January and (sometimes February) or December (sometimes). |
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Dux4Life did your garden green back up after you added the nitrogen? kitties I used fish emulsion on some of the plants. The peppers are starting to look better. What seems to have made the biggest difference was mulching with straw instead of grass clippings. I noticed that tonight. everything with straw is a lot greener than the grass mulched. When I put the grass on it was freshly cut and fairly green yet. lately I have been letting it brown before being used as mulch. This year I planted many different types of peppers. I think the Lady Bell peppers are the only ones that produced early. They had beautiful large peppers on them. The other 3 varieties are now starting to produce. I will try to post some pics soon. |
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If you're trying to go non-chemical, you need a compost pile IMMEDIATELY. The compost has been shown to actually be a positive influence for pest and disease control. There are reasons for this, but none of them proven. They can't prove the REASONS, but a lot of experiments have shown the addition/use of compost to be of benefit in these areas. You need it for fertilization and for mulch as well. And a source of manure would be good too...First choice, horse, second choice cow, third choice...others. kitties |
| I have the compost pile started, about 2 wheelbarrows full currently. I also have access to horse, cow, and large amounts of chicken manure. I will probably add the chicken this winter when all of the plants are out for an extended time. I heard that chicken was higher in nitrogen than the others (may not be true though). Would cow manure with the straw from bedding be any better than straight cow manure? |
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I have the compost pile started, about 2 wheelbarrows full currently. I also have access to horse, cow, and large amounts of chicken manure. I will probably add the chicken this winter when all of the plants are out for an extended time. I heard that chicken was higher in nitrogen than the others (may not be true though). Would cow manure with the straw from bedding be any better than straight cow manure? Try to avoid putting fresh manure directly into your garden, because any weed seeds that got passed through the animals' digestive tracts will be "planted" right in your garden- the last place you want them to grow. If the chickens were kept cooped up so they couldn't eat wild seeds it might be OK, but who knows what they were eating? It is be best to compost all of it first. |
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Quoted: I have the compost pile started, about 2 wheelbarrows full currently. I also have access to horse, cow, and large amounts of chicken manure. I will probably add the chicken this winter when all of the plants are out for an extended time. I heard that chicken was higher in nitrogen than the others (may not be true though). Would cow manure with the straw from bedding be any better than straight cow manure? It is true that chicken manure is much higher in nitrogen––higher to the point of potentially burning plants if you're not careful. It will acidify your soil FAST, and cause you to have to lime if you're not careful. So put it on in the fall rather than in the spring when you have stuff growing. Any manure is better composted. I would put horse manure directly onto the garden, but the cow manure I would prefer to compost. the manure in the straw is excellent to put in your compost pile. I WOULD put this in my garden if I needed immediate nitrogen supplement, then dig it in and mulch heavily over the top of it to suppress weed growth. You do have to be careful adding raw manure to a garden in any form except for horse manure. Horse manure is magic. |
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Kitties,
I want to make sure I am reading you right, and ask for clarification. I'd not heard of direct use of horse manure. Most resources I've come across have suggested that the addition of any poop type manures (aged or composted, not fresh) be spread at least 90 days prior to any potential harvest. I wouldn't be surprised if erring on the side of caution played a role in this often seen suggestion, if there are instances where one can deviate, just for safety's sake. I am a first year gardener, but have spent quite a bit of time researching. Most of the articles that I've read indicate that poop manures should always be either aged or composted. The one deviation that I see quite often is that Rabbit waste can be used fresh, but I was still left with the impression that it, and any other animal waste manure, should be added 90-120 days prior to harvest. Do I have it wrong? |
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Quoted: Kitties, I want to make sure I am reading you right, and ask for clarification. I'd not heard of direct use of horse manure. Most resources I've come across have suggested that the addition of any poop type manures (aged or composted, not fresh) be spread at least 90 days prior to any potential harvest. I wouldn't be surprised if erring on the side of caution played a role in this often seen suggestion, if there are instances where one can deviate, just for safety's sake. I am a first year gardener, but have spent quite a bit of time researching. Most of the articles that I've read indicate that poop manures should always be either aged or composted. The one deviation that I see quite often is that Rabbit waste can be used fresh, but I was still left with the impression that it, and any other animal waste manure, should be added 90-120 days prior to harvest. Do I have it wrong? You do not have the research wrong. That is standard practice for any manure. Anything but horse manure, I adhere to this rule religiously. I have put horse manure on my garden, fresh (it's usually mixed with the sawdust from the stalls) without issues. BUT I do not put it directly on the plantings. NEVER put chicken manure directly on your garden. (This was one of my grad school research projects, which is how come I'm so familiar with different kinds of shit.  ) Let me explain a little: I usually err on the side of conservative in these posts––because I never know how much knowledge or lack of it people have hwen they read these posts. So I guess I should follow that rule here and say, "compost all manure" or put it on way ahead of planting. But I can tellyou from experience that i have used hose manure directly in my garden soil, during the growing season. THAT SAID, DO NOT MISS THE CAVEAT –– I DO NOT PUT IT DIRECTLY AT THE BASE OF MY PLANTS. I dig it into the soil in the rows or in areas where it won't touch the plants. With any manure, I am careful about burn. AND it depends a lot on what the animals have eaten/been fed. In my experiments, I knew what this was, it was all from a university farm, and it was controlled, you see. Your sources of manure will not be as controlled, and you don't likely have the research and experience of an ag department to advise you on what and how to do it based on all the given factors. So I guess I should say, compost your manure, otherwise I'm liable to get misread and somebody will have trouble. With cow manure, I would compost it, because cows are usually on pasture almost exclusively. The horses I collect manure from are grain and hay fed. So what the animal eats is a factor here. You may or may not know that, and you may or may not understand what difference it makes. So see...there are a lot of factors here. Horse manure is the better choice, IMO for gardening. Cow manure second, as I said, and others after that. If in doubt, compost your manure. kitties |
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Thanks Kitties!
I am acquainted with a local contractor who occasionally strips the top off a cow pasture and dumps it out behind his barn. He kindly offered me the use of the pile and suggested I use it to dress around my plants. I did grab a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff (mostly manure - very little dirt - not sure how he does it), but based on the date and the crops I had planted, I added it to my compost pile instead of using it to dress. I may hit him up again this fall and add a layer of this to my raised beds to over-winter. I think it has aged at his place for around 1 year, plus whatever amount of time it had lain in the pasture. |
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I have the compost pile started, about 2 wheelbarrows full currently. I also have access to horse, cow, and large amounts of chicken manure. I will probably add the chicken this winter when all of the plants are out for an extended time. I heard that chicken was higher in nitrogen than the others (may not be true though). Would cow manure with the straw from bedding be any better than straight cow manure? Try to avoid putting fresh manure directly into your garden, because any weed seeds that got passed through the animals' digestive tracts will be "planted" right in your garden- the last place you want them to grow. If the chickens were kept cooped up so they couldn't eat wild seeds it might be OK, but who knows what they were eating? It is be best to compost all of it first. The chickens are in a large facility. I can get a trailer load of $hit if I ask for it. Whatever I get I will put it on in November. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have the compost pile started, about 2 wheelbarrows full currently. I also have access to horse, cow, and large amounts of chicken manure. I will probably add the chicken this winter when all of the plants are out for an extended time. I heard that chicken was higher in nitrogen than the others (may not be true though). Would cow manure with the straw from bedding be any better than straight cow manure? Try to avoid putting fresh manure directly into your garden, because any weed seeds that got passed through the animals' digestive tracts will be "planted" right in your garden- the last place you want them to grow. If the chickens were kept cooped up so they couldn't eat wild seeds it might be OK, but who knows what they were eating? It is be best to compost all of it first. The chickens are in a large facility. I can get a trailer load of $hit if I ask for it. Whatever I get I will put it on in November. Okay be aware that in a commercial egg or meat production facility, you're going to get as much chemical additives in that manure as you get anything else. Chickens produced in those facilities, or EGGS produced in those facilities, are FULL of all kinds of chemicals. Insecticides included. (They have to control the pest populations in there somehow––flies, lice, mites, etc. They don't do it with fly swatters.) So it's worth asking the questions about what's put on or in the feed, and what's sprayed in the facility before you use it on your garden. I would not ask in a way that would seem unappreciative or confrontational. I'd just say, "hey, could you tell me your spray and treatment schedules so I know how long to compost this before putting it on?" Or something. And even if you decide you don't want to use the stuff on your garden, you can take a load of it, say a huge thank you, then dump it somewhere. kitties |
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| You have to watch it with putting fresh horse manure mixed with wood shavings in your garden. The wood shavings breaking down will eat up the nitrogen in the soil. Make sure you compost it first. With cow manure you don't have to worry about that. It really boils down to what you can get the cheapest. |
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I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted?
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Quoted: I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted? I honestly don't know what a couple of days in a hot sealed up bag would do to the grass clippings that would be helpful... Can you site the sources for this? I'd love to read it and see if it makes sense, chemically, or not. I have not heard of this before. I'm interested. kitties |
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It was in an old Mother Earth News. The bag had to be sealed to prevent moisture escape and it would turn all the grass into instant diarrhea that could then be put on the soil. I just don't remember if it had to be tilled in as an amendment or if it could be used directly on the plants.
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I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted? I honestly don't know what a couple of days in a hot sealed up bag would do to the grass clippings that would be helpful... Can you site the sources for this? I'd love to read it and see if it makes sense, chemically, or not. I have not heard of this before. I'm interested. kitties |
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It was in an old Mother Earth News. The bag had to be sealed to prevent moisture escape and it would turn all the grass into instant diarrhea that could then be put on the soil. I just don't remember if it had to be tilled in as an amendment or if it could be used directly on the plants.
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I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted? I honestly don't know what a couple of days in a hot sealed up bag would do to the grass clippings that would be helpful... Can you site the sources for this? I'd love to read it and see if it makes sense, chemically, or not. I have not heard of this before. I'm interested. kitties It will stink like nobody's business. I used to use a black trash can with duct tape around the outside. It will. turn into yellow soup in a week. |
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Did you use it directly or did you have to compost it before use?
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It was in an old Mother Earth News. The bag had to be sealed to prevent moisture escape and it would turn all the grass into instant diarrhea that could then be put on the soil. I just don't remember if it had to be tilled in as an amendment or if it could be used directly on the plants.
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I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted? I honestly don't know what a couple of days in a hot sealed up bag would do to the grass clippings that would be helpful... Can you site the sources for this? I'd love to read it and see if it makes sense, chemically, or not. I have not heard of this before. I'm interested. kitties It will stink like nobody's business. I used to use a black trash can with duct tape around the outside. It will. turn into yellow soup in a week. |
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Sounds like they're trying to turn it into a type of manure tea. But in this case it would be sort of a green manure tea. Kind of.... I don't know, without reading their process and thoughts on it, if it would be okay directly on the garden or not. It would not likely burn like manure might, and it should not deprive the soil of N as severely as it breaks down, because it's probably already broken down partially. Interesting concept. If I were going to try it, I would pick out a couple of plants and try it there first, so if you got burn or negative results, it wouldn't be on the entire garden. See, I have kind of this rule of thumb. If it stinks in a really bad way, I don't put it directly on my garden. But you have to understand that I don't think horse manure stinks much. Hog manure? Oh yeah. Chicken manure? Peeeeee-eew. FRESH cow manure––stinko. Rotted compost––(not composted properly)––yuck. PROPERLY PREPARED COMPOST smells good––kind of like warm earthy decomposition. Very different. So anything that makes me gag when I smell it......gets composted first or doesn't go on the garden. This is not a rule that you'll read anywhere. It's just something I've noticed across a lifetime of gardening. Stuff that is truly rotting––it needs air and some work before I want to put it on my garden. But that is not to say that this rotted, speedo-composted grass is bad. I'm not saying that at all. Part of it is that I enjoy gardening. I do not enjoy changing the cat litter or mucking out a hog barn, or running into a dead, half-rotted carcass of any sort. I never particularly enjoyed spreading cow manure either, though I don't mind that terribly as long as it's solids and not liquid manure. So I kinda don't want to ruin gardening by gagging when I go out there to work in it. YMMV.... |
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Did you use it directly or did you have to compost it before use?
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It was in an old Mother Earth News. The bag had to be sealed to prevent moisture escape and it would turn all the grass into instant diarrhea that could then be put on the soil. I just don't remember if it had to be tilled in as an amendment or if it could be used directly on the plants.
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I've read about putting all the grass clippings in a big black plastic bag and sealing them up and letting it sit out in the sun for a couple of days whereupon the clippings become a sort of manure. Can this be used directly in the garden or should it be composted? I honestly don't know what a couple of days in a hot sealed up bag would do to the grass clippings that would be helpful... Can you site the sources for this? I'd love to read it and see if it makes sense, chemically, or not. I have not heard of this before. I'm interested. kitties It will stink like nobody's business. I used to use a black trash can with duct tape around the outside. It will. turn into yellow soup in a week. I composted it. My rule is that compost shouldn't smell rank. If it does, it's not finished yet. |
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Sounds like they're trying to turn it into a type of manure tea. But in this case it would be sort of a green manure tea. Kind of.... I don't know, without reading their process and thoughts on it, if it would be okay directly on the garden or not. It would not likely burn like manure might, and it should not deprive the soil of N as severely as it breaks down, because it's probably already broken down partially. Interesting concept. If I were going to try it, I would pick out a couple of plants and try it there first, so if you got burn or negative results, it wouldn't be on the entire garden. See, I have kind of this rule of thumb. If it stinks in a really bad way, I don't put it directly on my garden. But you have to understand that I don't think horse manure stinks much. Hog manure? Oh yeah. Chicken manure? Peeeeee-eew. FRESH cow manure––stinko. Rotted compost––(not composted properly)––yuck. PROPERLY PREPARED COMPOST smells good––kind of like warm earthy decomposition. Very different. So anything that makes me gag when I smell it......gets composted first or doesn't go on the garden. This is not a rule that you'll read anywhere. It's just something I've noticed across a lifetime of gardening. Stuff that is truly rotting––it needs air and some work before I want to put it on my garden. But that is not to say that this rotted, speedo-composted grass is bad. I'm not saying that at all. Part of it is that I enjoy gardening. I do not enjoy changing the cat litter or mucking out a hog barn, or running into a dead, half-rotted carcass of any sort. I never particularly enjoyed spreading cow manure either, though I don't mind that terribly as long as it's solids and not liquid manure. So I kinda don't want to ruin gardening by gagging when I go out there to work in it. YMMV.... I didn't read this before I posted. It's a good rule of thumb. |