Topic: Newspaper in Compost

[boxingtortoise]

I get thru a whole lot of newspapers, and i have heard that you can use this on the compost. Is this true, and if so, how much could i put on.

[Tenuse]

Yes you can use paper.

I have a shredder at home so I put the shredded remains in the compost, but I think you could use whole sheets as well.

As far as I understand it the general rules are:

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don't use shiny paper e.g. glossy magazines;

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don't put it in the compost in a huge block, mix it up with layers of other types of stuff.

My council also sent me a nice leaflet about making good soil, without digging, which said you could put a layer of cardboard or newspaper on the soil, then pile compost on top then pile straw on top of that, and it would all get incorporated into the soil over the winter.

Ten x

[Tenuse]

Ohh dots in the wrong places sorry!

[Mrs Ava]

My gramps mixes wripped up newspaper with his grasscuttings as he is shoving it on his compost heap so you don't get a lump of smelly slimey gooooooooo.  He swears by the Times - tut - but I agree, so long as it isn't shiney, it will rot in no time!  I am going to save mine to shred up and pile up in the bottom of my bean trench over the winter.

[Palustris]

Give it a good soaking before you add whole newspapers to either a trench or compost heap. Shredded paper will absorb water, but large wads of it can stay dry and then do not rot.

[Doris_Pinks]

Funny this should come up today...just bought an electric shredder this afternoon, after borrowing one over the weekend, and creating a bin bag load It became a MUST have item! Have put my paper shreddings on the bottom of my bean trench. When that is done it shall start to go on my compost. Have to say as pathetic as it sounds, very exciting to shred the paper! Enormous amount of fun and very satisfying! ;D  Dotty P

[Ceri]

I'm sure I read something on the HDRA website about how good paper is for a compost heap - I think they were advovating using quite a lot

[Andi]

Newspaper wrapped tatties? Maybe it stops slug attacks??

Im a newby to allotmenteering.... in fact I dont have one yet! Im still on a waiting list  :( but desperate to get started!! As I think it will help my home brew ventures immensely!  ;D

Just like to add a comment about paper in compost.  Most 'rough' paper is ok as long as it isnt BROWN in colour...such as cardboard.  Brown paper has a high sulphur content that can cause chemical imbalances in the compost, and hence inhibit the 'good' microbiology needed to get things working.

Im an environmental microbiologist by training btw...but I'm still gonna need lots of help when I finally get a plot.

Thank gawd I found you lot!

andrea  ;D

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

An experienced chap on our allotmment told me to do the same with potato seeds, but insisted that it must be The Sun (with a smile on his face).

I suffered from eelworm with my first ever crop, and he reckoned that wrapping them in newspaper would stop them.   Can anyone comment on that aspect?

[Hugh_Jones]

If he wrapped them in the Sun the answers obvious. The eelworm either poisoned themselves trying to eat their way through it, or else took one look at the front page and b*ggered off somewhere else.