Compost?? What should i do???!
United Kingdom 
I've just taken over my mum's garden. She has two plastic compost bins which she has filled with grass clippings over the last couple of years. Unfortunately she hasn't used any other materials or turned it, and they're just 2 big containers of dry grass.
Am going to empty them and start again - can i use the dried grass? and i'm really intimidated by the whole process. what can i put in? are layers really important? what about large prunings - do these need to be chipped? Do we just chuck in kitchen waste as we produce it? Carol Klein's book says that you need a third green waste (kitchen and grass cuttings, and two thirds should be straw like or woody carbon rich materials - what is this?!! Also is manure essential or can you use soil? I found some compost liquid stuff in the shed - should i use it?
So many questions! Please help!!
4 May, 2009
Answers
I have been putting in personall papers shredded along with chopped peelings .
And welcome M enjoy .
4 May, 2009
Thanks so much for the advice.
Since posting the question i have begun emptying the contents of the bins. There is some compost in the bottom half of one of the bins, it looks a bit ropey and there is quite a lot of bark that hasn't composted, but i thought i could use it as mulch on my flower beds.
However, the bin seems to have become home to an enormous colony of ants, so said barky compost is crawling with them. I don't know what ants would do to my plants? Any advice? Also, if they need to be killed what would be the best method?
4 May, 2009
Previous question
« I have seen what looks like one but I dont know what it is called
Hi M
Welcome to Goy
have a look on this website ,this will tell you exactly whatu need.
http://www.wasteawarescotland.org.uk/html/index.asp
4 May, 2009