Too much grass clippings

gutties

I have a big lawn and so I always have too much grass; certainly too much to compost - I use a ride on mower as the garden would take to long to cut with a push mower.

I don't really like mulching the grass as I play football on the lawn with my kids and if the grass is mulched the grass clippings get all over the house!

What else do folks do when you simply have too much grass?

My soil is a heavy clay.  Would it be beneficial if I was to spread the grass out over my beds every week as I cut (even though it may look a little unsightly), or would pure grass cuttings not do much in the way of improving my soil?

Really just looking to see what others do.

BTW, I realise this isn't really a "problem" per se, but unsure what other section of the forum to post this in!

BenCotto

I have a couple of large compost bins made out of old pallets. Like you, I have far too much green waste relative to brown waste so I save old cardboard boxes which I tear into smaller pieces and each year scrounge a couple of bales of straw from a friend who keeps horses. Mixed together, they make perfect compost.

Lizzie27

Apparently you can use them as a mulch under hedges, which we do occasionally. Otherwise some goes in our 3 compost dalek bins and/or the 2 council bins if there's room. It is a bit of a problem though and our two lawns must be a lot smaller than yours.

Guernsey Donkey2

We also have large lawns and now have three compost bins made from old pallets on the go.  We also compost any spare soil/emptying of plant pots, newspaper and cardboard torn up, some manure, and all our kitchen waste.  The compost bins are rotated so I always have mulch to put around trees and plants and also to dig into new plant holes. We also add water to the mixture if we have a dry period of weather, the bins are partially covered at the top, but the pallets allow air in through their sides. I hope this helps gutties.

josusa47

I have only a small patch of grass fore and aft, in late summer I use it to mulch the borders, so the autumn rain can help it rot. Iput waste paper through an office shredder and mix it with the grass in the compost bin.

gutties

@Picidae / @Guernsey Donkey2 Would it be possible to see a picture of your set up?  I'm looking to see how big the bays are

Posy

I have too much grass to compost in the bins. I pile up the clippings in an out-of-the-way corner all through the season then, in November I dig them out, breaking up lumps and mixing old with new before piling them up again. I do this a few times during the winter and spring and by autumn I have perfect composting material. It's especially good for clay soil.

gutties

Thanks @Posy.  I'm trying to do the same, but I'm running out of "out-of-the-way corners". 

In following the method you describe where do you put the next summer's clippings?  Presumably you can't put them on top of the pile that you dug out the previous November and you'll wait until the autumn to use those?

BenCotto

Here you go. In retrospect I would have done a three bay arrangement. The feather edge boarding is more for aesthetic reasons rather than keeping heat in but the slatted boards at the front have nails which act as spacers for ventilation. Rain is kept off with tarpaulin covers. The camouflage effect is again for aesthetics; they were only about £3 each on eBay.

Guernsey Donkey2

I will try to get some pictures to you this evening gutties, our set up is similar in size to Picidea, only we have three bays with pallets that have more open slats than Picidea's.  They run side by side too. I use the product as mulch and at least 50% of it is dug into the veg. patch each Spring - especially good for courgettes, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.  When planting to transplanting I always use a spade full of this compost along with some blood, fish and bone to the hole.

josusa47

I am overwhelmed with compost bin envy.  Sometimes I think I enjoy making compost more than growing plants.