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Martin Brown · 22-01-2014, 04:10 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 22/01/2014 14:30, wrote:

A friend of mine has a turf farm and also cuts and supplies wood for wood burning stoves etc, consequently he has aproximately a 10 ton piles of grass clippings mixed with wood chips and sawdust, the wood is a mixtute of both softwoods and hardwoods.

The pile has been there for well over a year now and has produced a lovely thick black compost type material, with only a small amount of larger blackened twigs/wood chips remaining.

Would this now be suitable to use as a multi purpose compost for my own garden or would I need to add any extra nutrients to improve it ???

I only intend to use several wheel barrow loads.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Yes its fine. Just loose the bigger bits and take the nicer parts.

This time of year bulk stripping of felled pine produces big heaps of
hot composting pine needles that smell strongly of oil of wintergreen as
they steam away quietly to themselves. Big hot heaps tend to make really
good compost pretty quickly if they don't get so hot they catch fire and
smoulder internally - then you end up with wood/grass ash.

It has been too wet until recently for them to go felling in the woods.

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Regards,
Martin Brown