GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Using Newspapers As A Source Of Brown Material For Composting

Phisherman[_3_] · 13-03-2010, 05:02 PM posted to rec.gardens

On Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:34:45 -0500, (EVP MAN)
wrote:

I have a Tumbleweed composter and last year when brown material was
scarce, I shredded many newspapers and used them in the composter. I
won't make that mistake again. They just balled up in large clumps
compared to the rest of the composted material. Looked like compost on
the outside but newsprint on the inside. I put this composted material
on the garden last fall and when I tilled the bed just last week, I'm
still tilling up clumps of newsprint about 3" in diameter that still
didn't decompose after spending at least 6 months at which time I hand
dug the bed turning the compost under the soil. The best source of
brown material I found so far is fallen leaves in the fall but my
problem is, where do you find good brown material to ad to the
composter during the summer months? Lost of green material with all the
grass clippings but very little brown material.

Rich

I got plenty of brown right now, but it can get scarce in the summer.
Same with winter composting--lots of brown but little green. It is
easy to make brown material by spreading green material and allowing
the sun to dry it out for a few days. Perhaps you used too much
newspaper or it was not shredded enough. I have a load of sawdust and
bark chips, but I know too much is not good for an active compost
heap.