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I agree, definitely use it. The glossy paper won't break down as fast so I'd probably stick to non-glossy if you can although if you're shredding it even the glossy kind might not be too bad. If you live in a windy area you may want to put down a little mulch over top of it though, seems like it could blow away easily otherwise.
If shredded, I put on the compost heap to help aerate the green stuff, I add this in layers of about 2 inches at the most, un-shredded you can either lay it on the top soil as a mulch and help retain moisture BUT in some areas, it can become a shelter for things like slugs, snails, earwigs etc, so keep a look out for such and destroy as you find them.
I try to avoid the colour supplements as the coloured in adds dyes to the soil and I don't want this, but a small amount wont cause any problems at all.
when I want to grow things like potato's, I like to dig the trench, add sheets of newspaper (wet, then add a few inches of soil, then plant the tatties, this helps to keep moisture into the soil for the potato's to get going,
To be honest, you can compost anything that is not man made including the fluff from tumble drier, carpet l floor cleaner, old cotton clothes shredded, woolen clothes too, leather shoes, just remember that some of these things take longer to decompose so as you remove your compost, you just throw any un-rotted stuff back into the heap.
Good luck. WeeNel.
Ya know Wee, I don't know why I've never thought about composting several of the things you mentioned. I guess I just got complacent with the mainstream things that I never truly thought about the others. Thank you for opening my eyes :)
Hi Catz, you add anything that is NOT man made like Nylon, polythene's and stuff like that, don't add cooked food or you would encourage mice / rats, flies etc, all the green stuff from the household like flower stems, and others mentioned in my reply before, garden waste too, just don't add seed heads from weeds, nor roots from perennial weeds, like Dandelions or others weeds that have long tap roots. if you add loads of moss from the lawn and grass cuttings, just make sure you don't add it all in the one layer, divide it up by adding woodier things that will allow air into the mix, if it gets too dried out in summer, sprinkle water on it from the water can but don't soak, by years end you should have great compost, you might like to turn the compost every so often by bringing the bottom layers up to the top and dropping the top down to bottom, mine don't need this turning but I dig the rotted compost from the bottom first and the half rotted stuff falls down, a few un-rotted potato skins ain't going to ruin my beds and borders as I throw the compost over the soil early spring and it is dug in as I plant or weed the borders.
You just get used to grabbing everything you can for your brown gold, even the coffee grinds / tea bags, sometimes I just chop up the Banana skins and chuck them onto my indoor plants as they are full of goodness as are egg shells, so go revive your composting habits and you will be a compost expert before you know it, ha, ha, ha, good luck. WeeNel.
WeeNel, when is the BEST time to actually start a compost pile? I made only a half hearted attempt in early summer. It rained so much from spring into summer, I kinda stopped adding stuff. :(
You can start a compost bin / heap anytime, the easiest way to start one is to put 3/4 tall canes into the ground or stronger wood, place chicken wire around the canes /wooden stakes like a triangle /or square shape, then start to throw into the (cage) anything green (no weed seeds or perennial rooted weeds) use old newspaper torn up, grass cuttings, shrub pruning, all kitchen waste, banana skins, egg shells tea/coffee grounds, lint from clothes dryer vacuum cleaner, potato peelings all fruit veg old compost etc, etc, etc.
Just don't use anything man made, don't add grass cuttings /newspapers that are more than 2 inches deep at a time or layer this between other things like shrub prunings that will allow air to circulate, if you add this stuff in too thick a layer, it will cause the grass to ferment and you get a smell, if this ever happens, just pull up the canes ans chicken wire and make a new cage, then throw all the stuff back into the new heap this will help to TURN all the composted stuff and it will break down just the same but without the smell.
The compost is ready when it has turned brown, has no bad smell and it crumbles away in your hand, if you find bits of potato peelings etc that are not fully composted then just toss them back in for the next lot of greens you add.
hope this helps a bit as this is the best stuff for the garden as you know what is in the compost, it helps reduce your household waste and if your not careful, you become a compost nut and cant stand to throw anything away, OH forgot to tell you to make a cover for your cage either out of an old bed cover (from charity shop etc) or bit of old carpet, this is to help keep in the heat the decaying greenery generates as part of the proses, it speeds up the composting too.
Good luck. WeeNel.
