MMP and others; centres of loo rolls and kitchen paper rolls, put in whole; again to bring air into heap so that it is aerobic (not slimy and anaerobic - lacking air) that is why one only puts small amounts of grass cuttings in, layered with something dry and airy.
For stirring my 'daleks' I use an arrow type tool that I got from Centre for Alternative Technology some years ago; works well, I believe other places online do them too.
Fortunately the grass on our lawns is so sparse we are only able to put small amounts of grass cuttings into our compost bins . Everything we buy from the Farm Shop (i.e. most of our food) comes in old fashioned brown paper bags - we put them in the compost along with the peelings and outer leaves etc. We also are the happy recipients of donated guinea pig poo and bedding (based on newspaper pellets) and these, along with recycled beer and cider (as recommended by Bob Flowerdew) seems to produce jolly good compost
Artjak - were you one of the Compost Masters at County Hall today?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sue as artjak says the idea is to create a bit of air as well so I would guess crumpling the paper would be the right idea, but art's done a course so just ask!!
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't particularly chop up bits before they go in the compost. I do put in shredded paper and some newspaper - try to stir the compost - but not that easy in the black dalek type we have ! However have just emptied one of our composters and wow what great compost it is !!! Also "found" a long lost kitchen gadget - litlle tweezer type tool that takes the stalks out of the strawberries !!! Wondered it had gone !! Have found long lost potato peelers in compost bins before !!
Dove, you know I live nearly 60 miles from Norwich, so sadly, no, I wasn't. Next time you are passing by, leave me a message and drop in and tell me all about it.
Sue6, just scrunch up the paper, see above, the idea is to get loads of air into the mix. Without air it is just a dank soggy smelly pile. I am no scientist, so cannot explain why, but the mix of air and green/wettish and brown/dryish vegetation (which includes paper - made from trees) makes 'black gold'; compost. The mix should be 50/50
Oh Artjak, does that mean I have to measure stuff? I lob in stuff as it comes, sometimes chopped up if it looks a bit chunky...but I do mix it regularly, add some water if it looks dry, a sprinkling of dried chicken poo seems to help.
Maybe I ought to train Bloke to add his bit...but while we're on that point, is women's wee useless?
Posts
MMP and others; centres of loo rolls and kitchen paper rolls, put in whole; again to bring air into heap so that it is aerobic (not slimy and anaerobic - lacking air) that is why one only puts small amounts of grass cuttings in, layered with something dry and airy.
For stirring my 'daleks' I use an arrow type tool that I got from Centre for Alternative Technology some years ago; works well, I believe other places online do them too.
Fortunately the grass on our lawns is so sparse we are only able to put small amounts of grass cuttings into our compost bins
. Everything we buy from the Farm Shop (i.e. most of our food) comes in old fashioned brown paper bags - we put them in the compost along with the peelings and outer leaves etc. We also are the happy recipients of donated guinea pig poo and bedding (based on newspaper pellets) and these, along with recycled beer and cider (as recommended by Bob Flowerdew) seems to produce jolly good compost 
Artjak - were you one of the Compost Masters at County Hall today?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sue as artjak says the idea is to create a bit of air as well so I would guess crumpling the paper would be the right idea, but art's done a course so just ask!!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't particularly chop up bits before they go in the compost. I do put in shredded paper and some newspaper - try to stir the compost - but not that easy in the black dalek type we have ! However have just emptied one of our composters and wow what great compost it is !!! Also "found" a long lost kitchen gadget - litlle tweezer type tool that takes the stalks out of the strawberries !!! Wondered it had gone !! Have found long lost potato peelers in compost bins before !!
Dove, you know I live nearly 60 miles from Norwich, so sadly, no, I wasn't. Next time you are passing by, leave me a message and drop in
and tell me all about it.
I just wondered whether they'd have paid you to go and impart your knowledge - but I ought to know better than that
I wasn't there either - meetings all day.
However, we might just take you up on that - I take my coffee black - no sugar
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sue6, just scrunch up the paper, see above, the idea is to get loads of air into the mix. Without air it is just a dank soggy smelly pile. I am no scientist, so cannot explain why, but the mix of air and green/wettish and brown/dryish vegetation (which includes paper - made from trees) makes 'black gold'; compost. The mix should be 50/50
Oh Artjak, does that mean I have to measure stuff? I lob in stuff as it comes, sometimes chopped up if it looks a bit chunky...but I do mix it regularly, add some water if it looks dry, a sprinkling of dried chicken poo seems to help.
Maybe I ought to train Bloke to add his bit...but while we're on that point, is women's wee useless?
Apparently women's wee isn't useless, but male pee is less acidic and works better, if you have some readily available
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.