Put lawn clippings on top of the compost
If you put all the clippings onto the compost at once after mowing the lawn, it is often not just the compost heap that is full. The cut does not rot either, but develops into a wet, smelly mass.
also read
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- Compost structure - this is how you get good compost
- Compost with mold - why is the compost moldy?
This is because the grass clippings, which are usually very moist, prevent air circulation. As a result, the microorganisms and bacteria cannot decompose the material. The grass does not rot, but begins to ferment.
You must therefore always mix grass clippings with other, airy materials before placing them on the compost.
Ensure good ventilation
So that the grass clippings do not form a solid mass, put coarser materials in between. Chopped shrubbery is ideal, for example when you cut a hedge.
It makes sense to always have a supply of chopped shrubbery in the garden. Then you can mix and compost the clippings after each mowing.
By the way, other compostable material such as:
- small amounts of paper
- torn egg cartons
- Wood wool
- dry foliage
It is important that the material is as dry as possible and not too small.
Compost lawn clippings with flowers and seeds
Unless you mow your lawn almost every day, there is no avoiding the development of lawn weeds. These begin to bloom and sometimes set seeds very quickly.
Nevertheless, you can compost such lawn clippings. Most of the seeds are rendered harmless by the hot rot. You don't have to worry about sowing unwanted plants with the compost.
However, this does not apply to the roots of couch grass and ground elder. These plants are so resilient that their roots are not killed in the compost. When you later use such compost, you are inadvertently spreading these "weeds".
Tips
An alternative to mixing with other materials is to let the clippings dry out before composting. As a result, the moisture is lost and the grass no longer prevents air circulation.
