What amount of grass clippings can a SUPERCOMP process?

Depending on the climate and location, one can say that a SUPERCOMP with a capacity of 350 liters can handle about 300-500 square meters of green area under regular filling.
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Do grass clippings have to be “layered” or mixed with other materials?

Simple answer: no.

Because of its support apparatus, a SUPERCOMP manages to make a compost free of odors and without the tedious task of moving the compost pile. Consequently, to achieve an even faster and nutritionally better composting result, it is advisable to mix strong nitrogenous lawn cuttings with carbonaceous waste. This also increases the quality of the finished compost.

 

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How long does it take for will plant-compatible compost to be made from my lawn clippings?

The SUPERCOMP was tested by the renowned institute of the Graz University of Technology,  Joanneum Research

(Austria), in the experimental testing “Reaktortonne Grasschnitt” (“reactor tons and cut grass”), and came to the following results: Based on a total throughput of 910 liters over a period of 12 weeks and a residual amount of 160 liters, the volume was reduced by approximately 82%. The reduction of the volume was not constant, but it reached its peak in the 6th to 8th week, under the given experimental conditions. In time, these reduction results average to about 35% per week of rotting. With respect to the compost weight, a weight reduction of 150 kg was revealed within 12 weeks of rotting.

The composting of grass clippings in a SUPERCOMP from exclusively fresh grass cuttings leads to plant-tolerated composts after a rotting duration of 12 weeks, a reduction in volume by 80% with a reduction of the organic components of 64%.

Comparatively, regular composters need a rotting time of about 12-24 months –  with unpleasant side effects!

 

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Can I also compost “only” turf or leaves with a SUPERCOMP?

The answer is: yes, it works. The compost heap is no longer with its full weight on the ground, but is supported by a sliding and supporting device about 25 cm off the ground. Thus, the pile is also ventilated vertically until its innermost core from bottom to top (chimney effect).

As noted in an extensive series of tests by the Joanneum Research Institute the vertical ventilation of SUPERCOMP allows composting of exclusively pure grass clippings without adding and mixing other materials. The same applies to the application with foliage.

 

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Why is composting “pure” grass clippings so problematic?

Experienced gardeners know: freshly mowed lawn on top of a compost pile rots and smells very bad.

Why? Fresh grass and grass clippings contain a lot of nitrogen. When cut with a lawnmower, the clippings are also dense, with fine structure and lots of moisture. If the pile is therefore lying on the ground (without SUPERCOMP‘s supporting device), the cuttings condense, leading to a lack of air.

These densified areas are ideal breeding ground for the emergence of rotting nests (nitrogen surplus amplified this in addition) and their emerging malodours.

Conventional composters (mostly from the low-price segment) without special technology are nothing more than compost piles inside of a plastic sheath, lying on the ground, often letting with even less air into the pile as there could be without the shell. In these composters, according to instructions, grass cuttings need to be layered with leaves and further waste. If you want to give up on bad smells and have relatively fast compost, you also need to take it all apart and move the pile around quite often (up to every 14 days, as per recommendation).

If you are considering the purchase of a composter “only” for composting grass clippings, you should definitely get a composter with the proper technology.

Note: Studies on compost plants with conventional windrow composting showed that even 24 hours (!) after moving the pile, there already are air deficiencies, as the material falls together, becoming dense once more.

 

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