Regarding compost, I usually mulch my grass clippings back into the lawn as well. However, in the springtime that is not possible because the grass is too thick so they go on the compost pile. I found that after the first winter, last year’s grass and or leaves were mostly broken down into usable compost. I would say in about 6 months you should have usable material.

I occasionally find a clump of leaves or something when I am mixing the compost into the garden in the spring, but I just mix that into the soil and in a few weeks it breaks down into nice rich soil.

As far as the compost piles go, I really don’t have any scientific method, I just turn it over with a pitch fork every few months. I try to keep the older stuff separate from the newer material though as I use it throughout the growing season

Well done. We too had quite a crop this year but lost some to the animals. Perhaps I need to build a fence around ours as it visible in your first photo of this post.

I have a silly question about your compost however. We’re looking to put several piles in our yard as well however the bulk of my greens come spring and summer in the form of grass clippings (when I’m not mulching them straight into the grass) and browns in the fall as leaves. Perhaps this means our initial harvest of compost will be 18 months out? First year is piling and second year breaking down? Do you have any suggestions on this? Do you find food scraps to be enough green matter to get you through the summer?

My current thought was to experiment by adding a thin layer of leaves and grass clippings (maybe 2.5″ total) on top of a flower bed as a dressing for the winter but the hope is to build several piles in the back yard.

/dave

We have to plan better for preserving and/or freezing the excess so we can enjoy them through the winter too.