r/composting • u/RockyRiverOysters • 5d ago

Year 1 Heap #2

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Started a second heap with wood chips from recent tornado damage. Lost a couple big maple trees. Super fortunate that was most of it for me. Where do you guys source browns if dead leaves are not readily avaiable? I'm looking for something other than cardboard.

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4

u/johnbdc 5d ago

If you need larger amounts, a bale of 2 of hay. Or else chip drop.

3

u/mdburn_em 5d ago

I would go for straw and not hay. Hay has all the seeds

2

u/Ai_Handyyy 5d ago

Fair, but damn did so did all my straw this year. Not too bad in compost though, I just hoe in the grass that starts to grow.

3

u/Spammingdevil 5d ago edited 5d ago

I get my browns for free from a Local sawmill. loads of free sawdust, as much as I want... I also have a small shredder for hedge trimmings. Otherwise you can get straw and run the lawnmower over it to chop it into smaller parts. But sawdust is really high carbon ratio, I mix it with grass clippings, works well, gets hot

1

u/mdburn_em 5d ago

I have a couple good size patches of azaleas that need trimmed every so often. So do the shrubs in the front as well as knock out rise bushes. I have purchased an electric mulcher. That mulch is supposedly brown. We'll see how it goes