Yes, at the top of the forum page is a link to the FAQ. Look for the Composting Basics FAQ.

That was good to point out the faq's been a while since I have read though there

I beleive this is the thread that would help

Here is a link that might be useful: faq's

Thanks so much for the list. It says that dried grass is a brown but I had read somewhere else that it is a green. Which is it? Because my pile may be WAY off if it is a brown. Thanks.

Wait! I know the answer to this one.....

If it was green when it was cut but allowed to dry brown - it is a green.

If it was brown when it was cut - it is a brown.

And in case you were wondering, lettuce is a brown!!! Go figure.

(See, I really do pay attention.)

We've a thread on I understand that at some point the nitrogen is exhausted from the grass and IÂm guessing itÂs when it turns brown.

Some "greens" are quite brown. Look at the fine print on a bag of rather brown "greens" from Starbucks.

But...lets not forget what I said :

If you eat a green....it comes out brown,but is a green ;-)

Jon...what would your mother say!!

Oh stop it! Just when I think I've figured it out you go and throw something else at me. Really, you are making me crazy.

I cry uncle. I'm just going to pile stuff and let it rot. Stink or no stink. Brown or green. If I end up with usable compost...bonus! If I end up with a stinky pile of slimy grass clippings and a few coffee grounds mixed in....so what! Winter will be here in 4 or 5 months and when it freezes, the stink will stop.

It's very confusing calling them greens and browns because then we newbies want to pick ingredients by color, which doesn't work.

It's actually high nitrogen and high carbon. That doesn't help pick ingredients much, either.

You won't go too far off if you think "fresh" stuff vs "really dried out" stuff. Not 100%, but more useful than greens and drowns.

A lot of the browns, really dried out stuff, won't decompose all by themselves. You can stack up paper, sawdust, and straw for years and as long as it isn't wet, it will remain in the same state.

The greens can't be stored long term and remain in the same state, unless they are processed in some way to preserve them. That's a generalization. I see some greens on the list that could be stored for years, like alfalfa. But alfalfa molds and heats really quickly if it gets water on it. Most of the things on the green list will have changes and decompose if you stack them up somewhere and leave them.

-rant on-

If a person can use a computer surely to goodness they can figure out the composting terms "green" and "brown" and what they encompass. Kids in grade three can figure out we are not talking colours when we use these terms in the context of composting.

Sure scientifically it is not correct but if we have to convert to the nth degree of explanation the fun and wonder goes out of composting.

-rant off-

Lloyd

P.S. I'm just pi$$ed because I've got 15 tons of grass clippings in bags and I can't do anything with them because of a 4 inch rain! And I'm going to get another 4-5 tons today!

You can teach kids in grade three how to spell "N" and how to spell "C". You will be hard pressed to explain to them how to look at some Starbucks coffee grounds and say "green".

"Brown" and "Green" are a really bad idea.

""Brown" and "Green" are a really bad idea.

It sure was, but how does one change all the websites/tutorials now and how does one get everyone else to comply with a more correct version.

All sorts of things could have better names/titles but unfortunately they never asked us when they created these monikers.

Me? I'm going to live with green/brown, it's easier than banging my head against a wall trying to change something I have no hope of ever changing.

Lloyd

I think they're called "browns" because usually the two most common things people use as "browns" are dead leaves and cardboard. And what color are those things?? Brown!

Sung to the tune of Sixteen Tons:

"I got 15 tons of O-P-G-Cs
Another 5 coming and rain up to my knees.
There's no time turn it,
But there's one thing for sure,
The pile'll get hotter,
If I start with manure."

..
"All the best rules have already been broken." - some maniac

If you can teach kids english they will have no problem with any other if, and or, but you throw at 'em.

Good list in the following link. Browns are low nitrogen, high carbon - compare with sawdust that is really brown. Greens are high nitrogen, low carbon - compare with grass clippings that are really green.

http://compost.css.cornell.edu/OnFarmHandbook/apa.taba1.html

to sense
..