Need some Green compost

rlew · January 2022

Got my composter empty and now want to refill it in the correct way. So green 1st but all I've got in green compost is weeds. I know grass cuttings and sawdust are the best 2 but what other green compost could I use?

Fairygirl · January 2022

I wouldn't use any perennial weeds in a home compost bin - that's asking for trouble. Annual ones are fine

Do you not have any plants? Foliage or stems from any perennial that gets cut/dies back, or any annuals, and any veg waste from the kitchen can go in, and those would be greens. My bin is largely made up those, along with grass clippings, apart from those after a weed and feed product have been used. Need to wait around 4 - 6 weeks before adding those.
Any ornamental grass that gets divided in spring/summer gets the leaves chopped up first - phormiums and similar.
I'm not sure why you'd think sawdust was a green part - that would be considered as a brown, as would things like cardboard, anything twiggy chopped up, shavings from pet waste etc.

Dovefromabove · January 2022

We have lots of ‘greens’ for our compost … cabbage and sprout outer leaves, potato and carrots peelings, the outer leaves and trimmings from leeks, apple cores … we take a small kitchen bin full to the compost heap most mornings.

rlew · January 2022

Fairygirl said:

I wouldn't use any perennial weeds in a home compost bin - that's asking for trouble. Annual ones are fine
Do you not have any plants? Foliage or stems from any perennial that gets cut/dies back, or any annuals, and any veg waste from the kitchen can go in, and those would be greens. My bin is largely made up those, along with grass clippings, apart from those after a weed and feed product have been used. Need to wait around 4 - 6 weeks before adding those.
Any ornamental grass that gets divided in spring/summer gets the leaves chopped up first - phormiums and similar.
I'm not sure why you'd think sawdust was a green part - that would be considered as a brown, as would things like cardboard, anything twiggy chopped up, shavings from pet waste etc.

I only really go veg in my allotment so I've used the weeds that get in raised beds. I just was recommended to do a layer of green like grass cuttings & then a layer of brown like sawdust then mix together. Starting to piss me off I can't find a quantiful supply of them.

Fairygirl · January 2022

Ah - you didn't make it clear that you only grew veg, and that it was on an allotment.

However, many allotmenteers also grow flowers, for various reasons, so maybe you need to look at doing that to help.
Perhaps there's no point having a bin if you don't have enough material for it.

Posy · January 2022

I wouldn't put sawdust in, myself. Chopped up twiggy stuff is better. I don't quite understand, though. If you have an allotment there should be loads of stuff at this time, as Dove said. In my garden, no veg, there is lots of tidying up material and I do put in most weeds, perennial or not.
However, it doesn't matter if you can't fill the bin; just pile in what you have each day/week until it is full, then tip it out, mix it up and put it back in. Job done.

Fairygirl · January 2022

If you have the root systems from veg, you can put those in.
I do that with things like sweet peas for example - it's not just the top growth that gets put in- so if you grow beans or peas you can use the roots from those.

Need some Green compost

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