I tossed in the urea on the assumption that the decomposition used up the
nitrogen in the material and that replacing it with urea would help to
balance the process. Yes, I also think that it speeded up the process by
adding some heat as well. It worked for me, but you might want to
experiment some. BTW- the stuff would get hot enough to be uncomfortable
when churning, so be cautious.
--
Tom Gauldin, Las Vegas NV
NEW EMAIL
NEW PHONE (702) 263-8804 voice/fax
"Brad Heidinger" wrote in message
...
Hi Tom,
What is the purpose of the Urea? Is it a catalyst to activate the compost.
I
have heard of adding a handful of 10:10:10 fertilizer or other compost
activator
but never straight urea pellets. I guess it worked well for you or you
wouldn't
have done it, eh? I think I will give it a try. My compost is always on
the cold
side. (Partly due to less than adequate sun) Granted, it will heat up but
never
to the degree that I desire. I want to kill all those weed seeds.
Regards,
Brad
Tom Gauldin wrote:
Penny, I'm hoping that others might also chip in on this, but my
experience
was the opposite of yours. In Indiana, I collected my clippings and
used
them for mulch as well. However, as the grass composted beneath the
'crust'
formed by the dry grass on top,, I found that it cut back on plant
growth.
I was told that the composting grass clippings robbed the area of
nitrogen
and that I should first compost the grass clippings separately, turning
them
frequently, and adding urea before spreading them out in the garden.
I constructed a pen where I'd dump my clippings and would toss in a cup
of
urea pellets each time. I kept a pitch fork handy and would "turn" the
new
grass into the old. It composted fairly rapidly and made a good topping
for
the garden. In the fall, I'd empty my pen of the balance of the
composted
grass and spread it on the garden before tilling.
--
Tom Gauldin, Las Vegas NV
NEW EMAIL
NEW PHONE (702) 263-8804 voice/fax
"Penny Morgan" wrote in message
. ..
You can use the grass clippings as mulch if you want to, but the
drawback
is
that it won't look very fresh like mulch or pinestraw. Grass is
actually
a