Topic: What percentage brown waste in the compost?

[Digeroo]

I am a total failure at making compost it ends up rather a slimey mess, though the beans and courgettes love it anyway.  Seems I do not use enough brown stuff in it.

How much brown waste do people put in?  What do you use?

[PAULW]

Do you use an accelerator either muck/urine or chemical

[glosterwomble]

You need more brown stuff if it turns out slimey. We include all eggboxes, shredded paper, toilet roll insides, shredded cardboard and tissue/kitchen paper.

We have a caddy in the kitchen for food waste and peelings so I layer it as I go with a layer (3 inches?) peelings teabags etc, then layer of eggbox, tissue etc and keep going like that so when it goes in compost bin it is already mixed.

I also do this sometimes with the big compost bins in the garden if I feel they look a bit wet I add an inch or so of shredded paper or cardboard etc. Give it a stir now and then to mix things up!

There probably is a ratio to follow but just add and subtract depending on if it looks too wet or too dry. If it begins to look too dry you can add more grass clippings, soft plant stuff and also add some urine for good measure as it does accelerate it all!!!

[Baccy Man]

The initial C/N ratio you are aiming for is about 30/1, this may vary depending on the bioavailability of the carbon and nitrogen in the materials you are using.

[Chrispy]

My book says 1/3rd greens to 2/3rds Browns.

I have the same problem as you, not enough browns.
I see my kitchen waste and think, that will make nice compost, but I look at a carbdboard box, and all I see is a cardboard box, so I end up adding too much greens and not enough browns.

I shove some newspaper into the bottom of my kitchen caddy, which helps keep it clean and means I add some browns with each load, but I should realy be raiding the shops bins for all their cardboard boxes.

[Pesky Wabbit]

I find it easier to start off wth a bin of Dry ie leaves, in the autumn. Then as the year progresses add as much green as I can get hold of/I think I need.

Wet ie green 'stuff' is always available, especially grass clippings - most peeps just bag it up and put it out for the bin-men. These can be 'harvested' and added to your heap as required.

[Digeroo]

2/3 brown. No wonder mine is a mess, I tend to have all green and hardly any brown at all.

[woppa30]

Wet ie green 'stuff' is always available, especially grass clippings - most peeps just bag it up and put it out for the bin-men. These can be 'harvested' and added to your heap as required.

The only problem with other peoples grass clippings is you may not know if they have used "weed and feed" and they recommend that you don't use these clippings for compost for about five cuts afterwards, or so I remember reading somewhere (here???)

[Debenvalley]

I used to have the same problem with slimy compost bins then started adding layers of shredded paper which  has fixed the problem and we now have much better compost.  I now keep and shred all waste paper and junk mail (minus the clear address windows) to take to the plot for adding to the compost bins.

I also add a lot less grass clippings to the compost bin these days, using it as a mulch instead.

[Pesky Wabbit]

The only problem with other peoples grass clippings is you may not know if they have used "weed and feed" and they recommend that you don't use these clippings for compost for about five cuts afterwards, or so I remember reading somewhere (here???)

Very true. If you add weed and feed to your compost, it will kill anything you plant in/ surround with your compost.

But during the spring/ early summer when most people Weed'n'Feed their lawn, I have plenty good grass from mine and my neighbours garden. Mid-summer/autumn when the growth slows down, I go 'harvesting'.

( Also, if you keep an eye out, you can tell who Weeds'n'Feeds and when. )

[Digeroo]

I actually like weeds in the lawn.  Cow slips in particular, but even clover and self heal and of course daisies and buttercups.

[manicscousers]

we add all the cereal boxes, too, plus small animal bedding would help as you get green and brown together  ;D

[cornykev]

The same as debenvalley, add shredded paper and keep mixing, after a few weeks you should see a difference.
I always have a few bags handy, shredding all my paper at home.   ;D ;D ;D

[Pesky Wabbit]

I actually like weeds in the lawn.  Cow slips in particular, but even clover and self heal and of course daisies and buttercups.

I always find it odd that daisies and buttercups are very acceptable in lawns, but dandylions arnt.

I have a whole patch that I allow creeping buttercup to invade, but I could do with more daisies.