I usually use shredded cardboard for browns but had wood chips dropped today that I will be using for mulch in my garden. Would this also be okay to use as browns in my compost bin?
Fresh wood chips generally are not good for a mulch in your garden as they will draw nitrogen out of your soil as they break down. In a household compost it probably won’t generate enough heat to break them down quickly. The best thing might be to leave that chip pile in place and let it breakdown on its own over the next year or so
EveningsPrimrose
If your experience is similar to mine, it will do well in your compost bin as long as you also have enough green material. I use wood chips in high nitrogen piles (like those with a lot of cut grass) and it makes a good product.
socalquestioner
I had two huge piles dropped by chip drop for my front yard.
4 or more times a week I get coffee grounds to add. I will have 3-6 inches of chips and hopefully at least one inch of coffee grounds over the next 8 months.
3 Comments
Fresh wood chips generally are not good for a mulch in your garden as they will draw nitrogen out of your soil as they break down. In a household compost it probably won’t generate enough heat to break them down quickly. The best thing might be to leave that chip pile in place and let it breakdown on its own over the next year or so
If your experience is similar to mine, it will do well in your compost bin as long as you also have enough green material. I use wood chips in high nitrogen piles (like those with a lot of cut grass) and it makes a good product.
I had two huge piles dropped by chip drop for my front yard.
4 or more times a week I get coffee grounds to add. I will have 3-6 inches of chips and hopefully at least one inch of coffee grounds over the next 8 months.
Make sure you are adding enough nitrogen.
Consider Johnson-Su composting.