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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Shredded paper

15 years ago

To start with.....Happy new year to all!

Quick question, I am now setup to shred all junk mail and clean paper from the office. In the summer when my browns become hard to come by can I supplement my paper to make up for leaves?

is the paper the same as leaves, and how much shredded paper will be to much. I have a feeling I am going to end up with a lot of paper to dispose of.

I am composting using a 50 Gal. turner that worked great last summer. My only prob I had a hard time finding browns, and this summer I am adding another tumbler.

Thanks in advance!

Hap,

When do we get to see a pic of your turner in action?

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Comments (5)

bpgreen
15 years ago
I use shredded paper in my compost. I think paper has a higher C:N ratio than leaves.
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
15 years ago
Recent threads here

I add paper to my compost regularly

Soaked, shredded paper is a good carbon source for composting

Paper is a good option
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Shredded paper primary source of browns?
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That's exactly what I do along with adding a handful of leaves or sticks if I have them. I use 2 plastic garbage cans with holes punched and lids on for all my kitchen waste to keep critters out and use open bins for yard waste. I have had a tendency to let those cans get just a bit garbag-y because I hate to take up too much space with "browns" and run out of space for kitchen waste, but after awhile I find that if I add the right amount of paper and cardboard it stays fluffier and breaks down faster so that I can keep adding about as much or more anyway. Don't forget used paper towels & napkins, paper towel or TP rolls (just tear them into a few pieces). Although it fills it up faster, I add small amounts of these items to my kitchen countertop scrap container (usually grab the things that are right at hand generated in the kitchen or nearby, rather than putting these items aside for later or making another trip outside) because then there is already starting to be a green/brown mixture and they absorb moisture from the kitchen scraps.
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I have used shredded paper assorted ways, and am still exploring its uses because it is an odd paper resource in that the recyclers in our area generally don't take shredded paper, so it usually goes into the landfill. You can add shredded paper to your compost pile, you can use it as a layer in a lasagne bed, and you could certainly use it as mulch, however it is usually bright glaring white in color and IMO looks really ugly! However you could just cover it with shredded leaves or something and easily solve that problem. When we had a guinea pig, I used it for the bedding, and it worked really well. When it was soiled, I would pick up the whole thing in one clump and toss it on the compost pile. Also, the birds LOVE shredded paper as a nesting material. I have observed different birds picking up the strips and carrying them off. Also at least 2 bird nests in my yard where the outer layers of the nest used a lot of shredded paper.
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Comments (6)
I have used shredded paper in the compost pile, and also thrown it into layers on a lasagne bed. Personally I don't like the bright white or other odd colors of paper in the garden, so I cover it with something else (usually leaves). The brown of cardboard and paper leaf bags is less visible though.
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Shredding paper etc
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Comments (9)
Into the firepot goes all sensitive material here. That way there's no chance anyone can get their hands on anything private. I aways wondered why someone with a lot of time, who was good at jigsaw puzzles couldn't reconstruct some of the shredded materials--and sure enough, I've heard reports of some people whose identities have been stolen just that way. I just don't trust a shredder. The cross-cut ones are better than the linear cut ones, of course, but I still woudl be leary.
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engineeredgarden
15 years ago
From experience, I can tell you that you'll want to add the shredded paper a little at a time. I added WAY too much to my barrel last year, and it was the worst scenario ever...

EG
bob64
15 years ago
Mix the shredded paper thoroughly with other materials to avoid unintentionally making paper mache. Paper is probably less "nutritious" than leaves but it's better than nothing. You can also use shredded paper in thin layers as mulch. A total guess is that your excess shredded paper could be thoroughly mixed in a separate pile with soil and that it would be pretty well degraded in about a year.
Kimmsr
15 years ago
The C:N ratio of paper is much greatly higher than that of tree leaves because there is not much Nitrogen, just lots of carbon, in paper. The C:N ratio of tree leaves varies between 40:1 and 80:1, depending on age, because the leaves will have most of the nutrients they had, including Nitrogen, when they stopped making chlorofil and we started to see the true color of the leaves.
So is paper a good substitute for leaves? No, because there are no nutrients in the paper, but paper can be a carbon in the compost, provided it is a small part of the total mix.

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