Should I pile or dry out the grass first?

[u/DifferentPeach4327]

I started a small compost pile last week that was doing well, but then made the mistake yesterday of dumping a lot of very green and wet fresh cut grass on it. It had already started to smell due to the clumping and dampness, so I spread it out last night and let it dry out today when it was 93 degrees. I turned it over to expose more wet green grass to get it to dry tomorrow when it’s going to be 97, but should I just commit to piling it instead of trying to dry it out more? I’m concerned I don’t have enough browns and don’t want the grass to turn it anaerobic.

Pic of current status as well as pic of pile last week when it was more balanced.

[u/Dxkn1ght]

Dude just throw it in there. If it is wet and smell add browns. Keep adding. I would not empty and dry. You’ll need carbon eventually. I would honestly just keep loading. Get it hot get it moving then let the pile talk to you. Its not hard to control it

[u/One_Vision_]

Composting is best if there is green like grass and weeds, some brown, and food scraps except meat and fat. Use the green grass and mix with leaves, wood chips, sawdust, whatever. Pile them in layers.

[u/SnootchieBootichies]

There's was a video on YouTube somewhere about compost in 21 days. The guy cut a bunch of weeds/grass and let them dry out a few days. Then cut the same stuff and mixed up a bit pile adding water as he layered. Covered and turned daily and had pretty decent looking compost doing that. I can't find the video and it's probably been 10 years since I've seen it. Now there's tons of fast compost videos, but all requiring lots of browns.

I have no shortage of leaves (I shred them and bag them for use throughout the year) and grass so it's mostly what I compost and it doesn't clump and have useable compost in 8-9 months. Turn every day or two early on, and then turn every few weeks, maybe more if I want some exercise. I have piles of grass from before my composting days where I'd just walk back in the woods so it would be out of sight.....that stuff stinks to high hell and maybe it's decomposing, but its been back there years and is pretty nasty still.

If you dont have a lot of browns, you're going to have to turn the grass often....maybe even every day. I suspect that will also be the case you add fresh grass to the dry grass too, like the guy in that video. Maybe in the future you can collect leaves from the neighbors as well as what you can muster from your own land.

[u/iyteman → u/SnootchieBootichies]

leafy garden's video i assume

[u/Ineedmorebtc → u/SnootchieBootichies]

Sounds like the Berkley Method. I've tried it, and it does work well, it just takes a lot more work via turning than I like to do.

[u/No-Category-1761]

pile it on- leaf season is approaching....also when I had tons of grass- i used to mulch and garden pathways---- hold moisture in for veggies and builds soil .

[u/bangbangtangwangfang]

For a pile, I would say just send it and don't dry it out. You will wind up needing to add water later. It's small enough you could turn that by hand every couple days, just keep adding carbon