How to Make Perfect Compost From Grass Clippings From Start to Finish
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- This start to finish tutorial on composting will walk through the basic
rules of composting. Composting is SO easy! I will hopefully show you
just how easy it is to get super high quality organic compost in just a
few months. It will address the carbon to nitrogen ratio, how long
composting takes, things to compost, how hot does a hot compost get,
when to flip a compost pile, how often to flip it, and when to know the
compost pile is done cooking and is ready to be used on the garden! We
also discuss the difference between hot composting and cold composting.
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Absolutely brilliant, I have never seen grass clippings composted on their own, and you explained it perfectly. Thanks very much.
They turn into a big pile of gooy black muck lol. Ask me how I know ha ha.
Terry
@@ForestToFarm lol
it's always nice to see a hot compost pile but even nicer to see a finished compost pile. Good job Luke!
+High Desert Garden (Phillip) The finished product is so sweet I wish I could send everyone a bucket of it...
Thanks for a super video, for all who are just starting, Every video of MIgardener is FANTASTIC, this should be one of your first 'go to' sites. John (my son) and I were trying to shovel compost for transport to the garden. As a joke, he said: "let's rototill it" An so we did. And life was good. I know it rips up the fungal stuff, but rotilling before we shoveled made it soooo, easy.
I flip mine every for to five days wetting as I go. It gets really hot and stays that way. Not too hot but around 160. Here in Alaska you have to do it that way or it will not break down fast enough for the next year. Last year I got a pile done in 5 weeks. Beautiful compost.
Thanks for this tutorial.
I've been saving my grass clippings in a pile.
I just need to start flipping it.
Then I'll cover it with a tarp like you said.
I've learned so much watching your videos.. You definitely have a way with plants. The best part is that you explain yourself so well on how to get things done.
So glad you enjoy our content. I appreciate the support Grace! How is your garden doing?
+MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living
The caterpillars and slugs keep eating my spinach, carrots and lettuce.... 😑 lol
bury a solo cup even with the ground and fill with any stout beer( not a light beer) and voila all the slugs will venture into the cup and drown. simply dump the cup away from your vegi garden weekly and refill with beer, do so until slugs stop coming around, hope this helps :P
Thank you that was just what I needed to cope with waste grass from my large garden
Me too,very informative..
You would not believe how much easier a pitch fork works doing this. That does look like a cool spot to keep your compost piles! 😎👍
+my2cents0 We have a pitch fork which I would have used, but it was deep in storage from moving and I still need to get it our. It is among the fall rakes and tarps, but I just couldn't bring myself to go for that kind of adventure just yet. ;)
I haven't been on in a while but I hope you moved away from those creeps that pulled up your Beets that time.
Hey Luke, get yourself a compost turning fork before you end up with the same back issues I have. That's too much stress on your lower back.
Revisiting this video again today, this is the one that made me more dedicated to keeping both cold and hot compost piles. The cold one is now about 24 cubic feet in volume, while there are 2, 55-gallon trash containers for the hot compost. Combining this with a video from elsewhere, we use alfalfa meal, molasses, and brewer's yeast on our hot piles, and turn them frequently to have finished compost in 14-17 days. This is our best mini-farm in years, even with drought conditions and record-breaking high temperatures. We also have a large bed of leaf mold next to our cold compost pile.
One warning for people that live in snake country--snakes love the warmth of compost piles in cooler weather and the cooling effect of leaf mold in warmer weather. When, I turned my leaf mold pile last week, there were two colubrids hiding in there. Since they take care of and prevent the chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits from getting to our crops, we certainly do not want to harm them in any way, and a compost fork will definitely harm them. So, we are now using a plastic leaf rake to investigate the pile before turning it.
make a video about this please, would love more info
What exactly is cold compost??
@@mercedesbenzs600bash It doesn't heat up to 140+ degrees due to the volume and the area--it is too wide and not high enough for the nitrogen to heat it past 90 degrees. It breaks down very slowly over months rather than finishing in 14-17 days.
@wi54725 OK but can't I just add hot and cold altogether and it'll serve the same purpose for fertilizer???
@@mercedesbenzs600bash you could easily mix them together, but we use the longer method cold compost to add to our growing area before planting and then use the hot compost to make compost tea during the growing season. It's due to the fact that we have much larger stores of cold compost.
Information-packed video! Thanks for spending the time providing this much detail! I can't wait to start my compost pile...Tumblers just don't do enough for my new gardens.
Hi, Luke. Fellow Michigan gardener here. I just had an epiphany after watching this and numerous other composting videos. I have a ton of leaves every fall that I mow and dump into my garden for the winter (about knee high in entire 8x20 garden). They break down some, but I still have to trench compost the remaining clumps in the spring. Back breaking. And I would love to transition to no-till gardening eventually. Next time, I think I'll put a few 3' rings of plastic fencing in my garden to dump my leaves into and see if that breaks them down better over the winter. And I can combine or add more as they break down to keep the piles high. Sound reasonable? My thought is that the plastic netting would be easy to remove and store when it's time to plant. And then hopefully less or nothing to bury in spring. I have another compost bin for year round composting.
I love the talking hand (smile). Love your videos. Thank you.
Hey Luke, so I stay at farm thats very old and I have this place where leaves have been falling for a long time and the soil has turned black. I figured it was due to the break down of the leaves and grass ans you demonstrated there in the vidoe. Thank you. Right now am doing hot composite with grass and produd to say that I have been doing as you have instructed. Great video and please share more.
I started composting this year (first year gardening) kind of by accident. I didn’t have any trash bags for my grass clippings and I wanted to mow the lawn, so instead of paying for the special trash bags from my city I decided to just create a compost pile! But then I got incredibly nervous because I don’t want a super smelly pile making my neighbors angry, so I started researching like crazy. MIGardener has been probably the best resource thus far because he understands that sometimes all you have/need are grass clippings and you can still make good compost! Thanks for helping to relieve my anxiety.
One question I do have, though. I’ve also put in my carrot greens, the rind of a watermelon, banana peels, etc. Will that kind of material cause problems?
Nope all I've been hearing it's a greatly added benefit and I've only been doing container gardening for 3 weeks using 5 gallon buckets but my goal is to only use our FREE NATURAL RESOURCES for compost and stay away from those expensive commercial fertilizers,so how exactly did you make your compost so it doesn't give off a really bad smell toward your family and your neighbors,my backyard isn't that big so I'll most likely put it in some type of big container???? (NEW JERSEY)
Can I compost garden materials that had powdery mildew or other diseases on them?
I’ve read yes, and no, and I’m just unsure..
I have more faith in this channel than any out there, thank you all for your input
Using our FREE NATURAL RESOURCES for compost is definitely the way I'll be going,wont be buying those expensive commercial fertilizers anymore,ive only been doing container gardening for 3 weeks now but im learning a whole lot,great information my man... (NEW JERSEY)
I had two problems. Unable to make compost and vegetables not growing in my back lawn. Got good clues from ur video. Thank you
Luke, I think you cover all the bullet points.
I’m giving myself 1 year to break down leaves 🍁 and grass clippings to get my black gold.
I'm going to do the same thing..
I don't know if this guy is still active, but Ive just been using grass clippings and shredding up cardboard, mixing it up, and throw kitchen scraps occasionally. Watering to moist and stirring daily. I found your video when checking to see if I am doing it right. I'm only a couple weeks in so can change quickly
The best way I have found to keep a pile hot and cooking fast is to add a little grass clippings or other green matter as I turn and rehydrate the pile. Making a pallet bin for the compost piles helps tremendously. The straight edge keeps the heat going straight up and through the whole pile. My piles will burn your hands if you dig in about 6 inches. I keep mine about 3 feet wide 3 feet long and about 5 feet tall. Basically just grass clippings and leaves with the occasional weeds or veggie scraps. I turn my piles about every 2 or 3 days at most. Any flat sodas or any sugary drinks are good to pour on your piles also.
So if I do this I won't need to buy anymore commercial fertilizers???
@mercedesbenzs600bash depends on how much materials you have to put in. And how much you need.
Great video Luke! Simple and informative!
hopefully! that is what I like to go for, but sometimes it turns out being more complicated than I would have intended.
Hey Luke.
I learned so much from your vidios in the past year. I just took time to watch somebof your composting vidios. I have tried the method you describe by piling up on the ground. In central louisiana zone 8b I have learned that using large black trash cans works better. We have a real issue with what we call red fire ants. Even in the winter they go for anything that can be considered food. Also I thi k the like the warm areas compost piles provide.
Thanks Warren
I'm in New Jersey,we don't get fire ants in my area but I'll be using a large bin to make my compost to cut down on the smell traveling through the air,plus my backyard isn't the biggest....
great info. you make gardening look so easy, gives hope. keep it going!
I meant for you to start the new book. And I w
As just kidding but does sound like a good idea. I live south of Traverse city so we get ten months of cold rain(snow) to let it cook. Enjoy the show
Great video Luke. Who doesn't love compost? I use all methods of composting such as: Bokashi compost, Vermi-compost (how are your worm bins doing?), "Drunken Compost (turn grass clippings to compost in 14 days!)", I have cold piles and hot piles. Don't forget about "fungal-dominated compost which comes from a big ol pile of wood chips)... Its such a wonderful hobby, and it only requires our waste, effort & time ;)
+Tim Huffman The worm bins are doing TERRIFIC. Over 200 pounds of worm castings.
FREE NATURAL RESOURCES is definitely the way to go.. New Jersey...
I have to work on my composting it has something to be desired. Good info man
+cheap homesteading It is a process. You definitely learn more and more until it becomes perfect.
Question- so do you keep adding to the compost over the 4-5 months? Or make one large pile and just keep flipping. Also, What do you do through the winter months? Protect it or just let it get snowed on? How do you flip it then? Sorry, I'm totally new at this! Thanks
This comment is not about this video, but rather about a video you shared about trimming squash plant leaves to allow the sun to reach the flower, thus attracting more pollinators. I was skeptical at first, but not now. After trimming the large butter leaves I was shocked at the number of fruit I got from the same plants and no squash bores. The only negative thing was the plants developed thorns as they matured again, but still kept producing way past what I considered normal production.
Rehydrated alfalfa pellets are a great source of nitrogen. Deisel exhaust fluid is urea also. It's cheap and it'll break high carbon materials down like a champ.
Great video for a newbie like myself lol.
Now I understand the difference.
Thank you for sharing 🌱
Great video! Will you update us on the pile in the Winter? Thanks for the video!
+Clara Slate I don't mind. I sure will!
Hey, I'm trying my hand at gardening the first time by myself. When I was growing up my dad always had a garden & we got to pull the weeds. Always a fun thing for 8yr old to late teens thing to do with their free time, NOT. LOLOL Then, while I was married my husband & I had some gardens but he mainly planted & then I just help with the weeds & harvesting. I'm now divorced & recently bought a house for myself & it had 5 small raised beds. I weeded them, loosened the soil, added some gardening soil & now like I said I'm trying my hand at gardening all by myself. Anyway, one of my questions is when do you cover up the compost? Another one is how do you get the green leaves? Do you use like clippings when you hedge or what & is it ok if they have some stems on them? I know that's a lot of questions but I really know nothing except what I learned growing up & I've been learning from your videos. I bought tomatoes, onion's, sweet potatoes, zucinni & some Spring burpless hybrid cucumbers not the regular kind you get in the store. I could really use some guidance & Prayers because they really aren't looking that great. :(
Great info here and look up the Ruth Stout method of deep mulch gardening.
Great information. Learned lots. My compost is not as hot now. I keep it very moist and add both green and brown. I turn it often. Any tips?
What exactly is cold compost???
Awesome thanks for posting
Where I live it rains quite a bit. Should I put a cover over my compost pile to control the amount of moisture in it?
I have a 3 week pile of grass and old brown leaves and wood shavings that stays at 60 degrees hasn’t gotten any hotter??? They’re about 2:1 brown to green
Im planning on getting everything together for my gardens next year so can I start a compost now and it still be good for next year and when I pull all of my old garden out , cucumber plants, tomato plants can I throw them into the compost without them growing in the Compost?
do you leave the grass clipping starting pile uncovered or should you cover that as well?
My dad's neighbor has a compost pile that is taller than his shed. He flips is with his back hoe. Funny thing is his garden is only about 1000 square foot so he'll never use it all.
tell him to truck some up to us!
***** He could. He has a dump truck.
When you plant watermelon can you rototill fresh grass clippings into the soil to add that nitrogen into the soil.
I get a small sprinkler and set it up to just cover the pile while I'm building it. Water is essential to getting a hot pile!
I don't mind either way but I prefer cold compost I started long before I really got into plants.. hahaha composting for fun!!!
Thank You.
Nice and simple
+ilan magen that is the best way!
If I pile up grass clipping during the summer can I use it in the winter. I'm in Chicago.
I fertilize my lawn. Is it ok to use gress clippings from my lawn that has been fertilized with weed and feed?
Okay I have a question if you put stuff like scrap tomatoes from the garden that fell off the plant and pepper won’t the seeds from both start growing in there and then we would have tomato and pepper plants growing in the compost bins that’s one of my concerns also don’t I need to put holes in the bottom and top for air circulation and for drainage??
Do I need to keep watering the finished compost before throwing it on my beds?
Thanks for the great composting tips
+Rick Marshall more than welcome!
like your content. just suddenly appeared on the veranda👍
Another great video, Luke. Do like it a lot.
+Cultivating Organic by greenwiseJo Glad you liked it buddy!
Should I not cover the pile until after it has composted or should I have been covering from the beginning?
If you have plenty of worm castings, does your garden need this "regular" kind of compost? I see below that you had 200 lb of vermi stuff! Awesome, and so much easier, it seems.
is lawn clipping safe to add to the vegetable garden compost?
As long as u didn't spay the grass with wild chemicals
How to cover the big compost pile? Do I cover it with plastic or can I just put them into the garden bed before rain or snow in the winter?
The leaves around my garden could come from nearby trees or a bush that had powdery mildew last summer. If I inadvertently mix in some of the bush leaves does that mean my compost pile will breed powdery mildew in the plants I use it to grow?
If your mulch pile joins the Marines, is it then called a gomer pile?
Hi Luke watching you in the woods I'm saying to myself please have some bug repellent on commercial or homemade.Just thanking about the mosquitoes is driving me nuts.Thanks for the information.
Hello
Its my first time compositing
Can u make a video step by step how to layer your compost
Can I make a chicken wire tower and still hot compost to keep my garden tidy and neat and organized
Jack Trevino yep
Get some fencing from home depot and make a tube that's about 3 feet in diameter and tie the edges together with straps or rope so you can open it up to mix and rewet.
I hope this question isn't too specific :) Just started composting, and I believe some of my trees have the tar spot fungus. I know it's really common, and although it's not pretty, the trees seem to be doing fine otherwise. Some of what I've read say it's okay to put in your compost, some say it's not. What would you do? Secondly, what do you cover your compost pile with? Thanks again!
And I mean putting the affected leaves, of course :)
I compost it all. the tar spot fungus only affects maple trees, so adding the compost to tomatoes will only help.
What if it's gonna rain for a couple days? Should it be covered?
Great video. Seeking feedback from you or any of your viewers-- we have a lot of grass clippings and leaves. We also have a surplus of groundhogs that we occasionally have to thin. Looking for a good use of the groundhog carcasses, and was wondering if I could just put down a good base of clippings/mulched leaves and lay the groundhog carcasses in there and put more clippings on top? My father in law also raises cows and said any time I want, I can bring my trailer down and pick up some manure. Let me know, feel bad wasting these resources and would love to make some good compost our fruit trees and garden would likely benefit from. Thank you.
groundhog stew?
MarsRoad Gardener I'd bury the animals in dirt and let the worms eat them. I would not add them to my compost pile. In regards to the cow manure, it depends on what the animals were fed. If they were fed GM feed, no. If pesticides were used on any feed or hay they ate, then no. Otherwise, it is a valuable addition to the pile.
Awesome video! Thanks again! I have a question around wood ashe? I've got an outside fireplace where I burn mostly hickory and oak. Can I spread the ashe onto the compost pile? I also have a wonderful 3 year old worm farm with tons of composting worms for my kitchen scraps! Should I also take those worm castings and put that on my compost pile or directly onto my garden?
I'm a newbie but from what I've been hearing all of that together would work really well,FREE NATURAL RESOURCES is definitely the way to go.... New Jersey....
Not too much wood ash! I've read that a little goes a long way.
What are your thoughts on rototilling the compost pile to shred up the matted grass clippings?
You should not use so many clipping that they mat up. If you have a lot grass mix it with straw, leaves something that has a lot of carbon. Grass clippings are a nitrogen source. Even mixing in a little garden soil or compost from your last batch would help. The percentage of grass clippings should not be more than 25% in a compost pile. I should say I wouldn't use more than 25% grass clippings.
Very complete video, lots of info :-)
glad it was helpful! lots more to come!
Which materials can be used to build a structure to hold hot or cold compost in? The place i live in would frown on your compost heap that isn’t contained. So what would you suggest, i use, to contain it in? Thank you.
True I also do t n my home but wt minimum resources
You mentioned grass clippings among the browns. It's a green. So, it can be added as a green/nitrogen source. If people think it's a brown, they'll end up with an unbalanced pile. I'm sure it was just a slip on your part.
shzam
Luke can u do the compost pile in ur garden when. It's over for the summer I need tips on how to make my soil softer an better
I don't consider fresh grass clippings as a brown source (carbon). When I layer fresh grass clippings with cow manure , it gets extremely hot... 140 degrees.
Can you put a tarp over fresh cut grass?
Is it ok to mix fresh grass clippings on your soil and plant on it?
I wouldn't mix it I would mulch it
Now is the time to work on that new book or 30 page pamphlet on composting. When are the orders about trifecta out. do you restock the pile throughout the summer
+Robert Haines I might have to start! :) Trifecta is in stock and can be purchased at any time! :)
@MIgardener Here in Georgia, the heat can be brutal. I get a lot of grass clippings from my yard. I am hesitant to use them however because I fear that they will sprout grass weeds in my garden, I sometimes wait too long to cut the grass and when I finally do, I end up cutting some grass seed heads along with the high grass.
My question is: how can I prevent grass seeds in my grass compost from germinating in my garden?
Could I store them in plastic bags until they start to ferment and break down, then spread them as compost?
Would really like to hear your advice.
Thanks, It was a great video!
I just Saw a video about grass head seeds and they said it takes about four months in a dry environment in order for those seed heads grow more grass. I assume the compost pile will not be dry for that long.
What about using Bermuda grass clippings ?
Does it matter - sunny or shady area for the compost pile
I have wanted to do this with our grass clipping but are lawn as over a decade of poisons and chemicals used to treat insects and to fertilize. I am afraid to use our grass clippings. Is there a way to make them safe to use considering everything put on them for so many years?
I just want to start and I still need more details .do I have to have somewhere enclosed to pile the grass and leaves
thanks
add beer weather skunk or went bad or fresh i like drink will jump start compost yeast in it. or use bread yeast
If all i have available is wood shavings and coffee grounds could i make a compost out of this? Would i layer it evenly? Thank you
I have chipped truck loads of tree debris while developing our forest. We piled them up and left them set for a few years now. They have broken down into some nice soil. It takes a lot longer but it will work. If you could add grass clippings as available it would speed things up.
Terry
What is the N-P-K level of the average grass clipping compared to coffee grounds?
I know people that put Lime in their compost. They say it helps break it down and keeps the smell down. Wouldn't Lime kill the microbes and fungus though?
All I can think about when I see that mound of compost are trapdoor spiders.
Hi! I live in New England and I'm worried about ticks getting into my compost pile. Is this something I should be worried about? Do you know how they impact the compost environment and the moving/turning of the pile?
If you get the ratio of greens to brown (3:1 brown to green not 1:1) then the temperature will rise to 120-160° and it will be hot to the touch and start steaming. Too hot for ticks.
Great video! Just showed it to my husband to help with the flipping. I have been composting for a while but never thought to cover the pile to prevent leaching of nutrients. Super tip!
Any type of tarp better than another? Thanks again for your awesome info! :-)
+Peg Prizer Once the finished compost is finished the color of tarp does not matter. You can add a black tarp if your compost needs a bit more finishing because it will help to create some heat.
@@MIgardenerWhat exactly is cold compost??? New Jersey...
Hey mi gardener. Can I have some tips on growing potatoes?
+Cameron Rose We have loads of videos on growing them :)
I have to try really hard to convince my mom to let me compost our grass clippings. She insists we put it out to be collected just so they can turn around and sell it back to us for 3 dollars a bag. Using any excuse possible; I put my clippings and crushed leaves in the corner under a tree. There is no grass and anything planted there will have its life sucked away by the tree. So a pretty good spot that doesn't bother anyone. She is the type that would throw away perfectly good food even if there is homeless people outside asking for scraps because its the "proper" way. It drives me up the wall that she goes out and wastes time to picks up apple peels I toss into the backyard for the squirrels. Just to bring it back and throw it away in the garbage. Trash belongs in the garbage. A very straight forward mindset, no ifs or buts. Grass clippings belong in a bin on the street side for pick up, leaves belong in a pile on the curb. Yet, I can utilize all of them in the corner of our yard that is out of sight and turn it into something valuable and useful; she refuses. Even if we don't have a garden to use it in; its better to have a stockpile of black gold than to toss it. It takes almost no effort and makes my life easier when I cut the lawn, I can just dump it onto the pile. Nothing is wasted.
You might want to add that in hot climates you would have to moisten the pile more often.
+Age Sam absolutely true.
Does cold compost not leave weed seeds behind? Why would you cold compost in that case?
My compost pile is in full sun, I mean like 12 to 14 hours a day. Is that OK? Rebecca
Can it be done in 3 months....can you use a natural excelorator?
great videos! I was thinking of just dumping fall leaves and cut grass directly on the garden beds. would that be considered cold composting, and will it be beneficial to the garden? thank you
It would be great to do! But it may not get as hot as you would prefer if there is not enough nitrogen in the pile.
thank you!
I do it every year on my raspberries. I skipped a couple years out of about 16+ years. Those couple years I had some type of rust occur and also had lots of beetles that chewed on my berries. Not to mention the plants were much less productive. Started back dumping leaves and yard debris on them and all problems went away. In addition I break up any fallen limbs from my yard and deposit them around the raspberry patch. My soil is hard red clay with very few worms. Where I dress my raspberries it has transformed into dark rich soil loaded with worms. I gave them reason to be there. Good luck!!
Terry
I prefer to create my fungi dominated compost piles (cold compost) under my fruit trees (but not touching their trunk) so that all the nutrients that leach from the pile into the ground are taken up by the tree so I don't end up losing anything.
+Binkie Pinkie nice idea!
MIgardener | Simple Organic Gardening & Sustainable Living moo
Media Century may I ask how u keep it from ur tree trunk
Two points:
1. I just picked up a roll of paper and "killed" the fly in your goddamn avatar there...so that gag works, congrats.
2. Some people say that you can over-fertilize a fruit tree, and make it prone to disease and pests. So I'd be careful with that...maybe run a test, with a control: see if trees that don't have a compost pile over-feeding them maybe produce nicer fruit.
Hello there sir, I am new to gardening stuff, and I am just thinking about composting since fall is coming near. But would coffee grounds, fall leaves, moisture do the job for me in the coming spring? Do I have to get them moist even during winter?
I see your question hasn't been answered from 4 months ago, so I'll try to help you: Just gather up a whole lot of leaves and a few grass clippings (or add a small amount of grass clipping or kitchen scrap). If your pile is damp and large enough, it will heat up. Cheers.
What about grass clippings that have been treated with insecticides and/or herbicides? How long does it take for those chemicals to break down? I wouldn't want them in my garden while the chemicals are still active.
+Jim Stickle Most of the time those will have broken down within a year, but I always recommend keeping compost free from that stuff.
The white moldy grass could also be powdery mildew a plant disease.
no, that is mycelium spores. Beneficial mold breaking down organic matter.
What about the compost my city makes? Made from leaves, sticks, and mainly yard waste?
+Joel Young I would suggest you go to where the city actually piles it up and allows it to compost. When I checked my local municipal compost pile, I was appalled at the trash and garbage in the pile. It looked like the local dump. Some people throw anything and everything into those brown yard waste bags and I doubt there is any provision for sorting it before it goes into the pile. They haul the finished compost to a different location for local pickup so I'm sure that most people have no idea how it starts out. Just something to consider. Best of luck.
How long can the compost be stored once it’s done doing its thing?
I don't personally use Grass Clippings because I am afraid I end up filling my compost with weed seeds, is that really a problem? Or will it decompose eventually?
Alan Park I generally throw everything in my pile, weeds and all. some of them do continue to grow, or sprout in the pile, but as long as I stay on top of mixing, and turning over, they eventually die off.