Snag wrote:
....
, if someone else hasn't already got a deal with the owners . My only
problem with composting is a shortage of green stuff to add to the pile . We
don't have a "lawn" , just the wild grasses/weeds that were already here ,
and which I cut occasionally with the weedeater . I can get all the brown
stuff I want , got about 12,000 trees that drop leaves every year ... maybe
make a deal with a lawn service or something for green

i would not use anything from a lawn service
as then you are asking for crabgrass and other
lawn weed invasion. also, many of them spray
gunk that is probably better avoided in a veggie
garden.

if you can find someone who does tree
removal services, it's much better to get
ground up tree branches and shredded bark.
wood chips last longer as a mulch and
work well enough for movable pathway
material. when they are used up wood
chips turn into a nice crumbly dark
amendment. plus, if you can talk them
into dropping off green hardwood sections
you can use those for mushroom farming.

by far, the best option for low cost
green stuff is to grow your own if you
have the space. you can use that growing
green stuff to keep the bees happy if you
cut it in strips leaving some standing
so it can flower while the mowed areas
recover. also, never hurts to leave
some of the green stuff behind as you
cut as then it self-fertilizes and
builds that soil too (in case you ever
want to rotate your garden into a new
space).


songbird