How should I shred my cardboard?
Ian.E
10 years ago
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klem1
10 years agoIan.E
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Cardboard Shredding, Shredding Cardboard
Comments (6)I'm not totally sure why you don't just recycle the cardboard. Your kitchen, trees, etc. should be able to give you as much compost as you need. Recycling is better for the planet as fewer trees will need to be cut down and less energy is used when recycling than logging. If you want to compost it, why not recycle it then buy tissue and paper towels made from recycled paper and use that as compost, this was the maximum value is squeezed from all the trees that are cut down to make paper....See MoreShredded cardboard for mulch
Comments (11)Earthworms, and other members of the Soil Food Web, like the soil conditions created when mulches are used, cool, moist soil, so any material used as a mulch will get them there. Shredded cardboard will work, but I am not sure that the extra labor involved in shredding cardboard is really worth the effort. I see very little difference in my soil if the cardboard is laid down unshredded or if I shred it, except I need more shredded cardboard to get the same results as with unshredded cardboard, and the shredded cardboard allows more "weed" growth then the unshredded cardboard does....See MoreShredding cardboard??
Comments (7)We have a paper shredder from OfficeMax that I run all our pizza boxes through. Just have to tear them into pieces narrow enough to feed into shredder. It's not a cross-cut model, so I get long strips. My worm "bin" is a large terra cotta planter the landlord left behind. I've got it on a small balcony off the kitchen, it gets afternoon sun but is protected somewhat by the wall and the thick terra cotta. I feed them a blender slurry which I pour into a hole in the cardboard layer and cover back over with the cardboard. By the time we have more pizza boxes to shred, the old ones are pretty much incorporated. Only problem is fungus gnats, I keep a piece of screen over the top to hold down the swarm. Eventually I plan to put a tree or shrub in there and start another one....See MoreCardboard Shredding, Shredding Cardboard
Comments (45)Harry, yes I have seen it in my homemade bin and It seems to be more of a stress reaction to an improper balance in the bin. My bokashi is my own saved scraps. After I run this thru my juicer if its on the dry side I add the juice back in so its more of a slurry. Then that mix is saved in a container that will hold 1 to 2 gal. Sometimes I have too much and also use large empty coffee cans with lid. Store this stuff so fruit flies cant get to it . When you do feed it may have a mold covering on top dont worry about that , its fine. Worms will love it. Getting the bedding right in the first place is the key. The relation between bedding, pure food , and worms is important. Bokashi mix is all green/nitrogen with a little shredded paper is most likely not enough. Depending on what you use for your bedding doesnt always have to be the same, whether its peat, coco coir aged compost , shredded paper , cardboard. Im going to say that should be at least 80-85% of your bedding , then add a little bokashi mix in a corner . The bedding should be moist but not wet, then I cover this with several sheets of newprint dampened. Check on the food you added in a day or two and see if worms have moved to the food, if the visible food is gone you can add more in another area of the bin. After adding this food slurry , checking the next day sometimes I will see the bacteria in the food a it seems to moving. This means it is ready for the worms. The bacteria has to be breaking it down before they eat it and that is why it is better , that is, if you want it quicker . This doesnt have to be done this way , some people just chop it up and put it in in this way , just takes longer, hope my rambling has helped....See Morechuckiebtoo
10 years agoIan.E
10 years agochuckiebtoo
10 years agoIan.E
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10 years agoGerris2 (Joseph Delaware Zone 7a)
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