good boy.

Thanks Rick. I shredded paper once but threw it into the compost bin all at once. It formed big clumps of damp paper that never broke up. Should have layered it lightly to work right. Hmmm. I have some left. Will add some of that . Have a good trip. Watch out for the beers, er. bears.

I use shredded paper in my house rabbit's litter box.
It goes into the compost after that - and after I screen out the poos.

Why would you screen out the rabbit poos?

I use the poos directly on the soil.
Not too hot, rabbit poos are safe enough to use that way!

Oh, I see.

>> I shredded paper once but threw it into the compost bin all at once. It formed big clumps

I have not tried the following yet ...

Dave once suggested that, if you need to break up corrugated cardboard for something like worm bins, it helps to soak it well, first. That softens it up. I think then he tore it into strips or chunks by hand.

I was thinking of soaking old phone books or stacks of newspapers really well, like underwater overnight. Then lay it out flat, or on my compost heap, and whale on it with a mattock to chop it up into chunks, that would then peel part with a steel rake.

But "layers" might work well too. I'm always impressed by how fast paper disappears, even in a "cold" compost heap. Something eats it pretty darn quick. Not egg shells or waxy leaves or tough stems!

Rick I hope you know what you are doing. Don't forget my bear photos.

I love it when beers are wandering through my backyard. Them critters are easy to catch too...well, they are until I've caught six or seven of them, then they seem to get a bit quicker and shiftier...

Wow Robert. Do you catch them by hand? Any photos?

Rick, you have one heck of a lot of energy. Whaling on phone books with a mattock?

If gardening HAD to be as hard as some people make it, I would NEVER have started.
It's a peaceful pursuit for me and that means not whaling on things AND not over thinking things.

Rick has an excuse for his detail oriented nature.
I need a BREAK from obsessing on mass amounts of details.

I worked on yard cleanup and I dragged my pots that I intend to plant peas in from the patio where they spent the winter, to my driveway that has more sun (well full sun) this time of year. I also dragged up the pea seeds from the basement and decided on where I want to plant the in ground peas. So if it doesn't rain tomorrow I will plant peas and also maybe some early type greens. I have plenty of seeds.

Temp on my experimental composter is up to 80 from 60 so something is working. Am going to get stuff from the floor of our forest by the walking path I take. Lots of leaves and twigs. Should be lots of little fauna to go to work there.

good idea about the leaf litter and twigs.
I have my own in the yard. Blankety-blankin trees on city property adjacent to the back of my back yard (only wide as an abandoned, unpaved alley, but with TALL trees) keep me supplied!

Monday, I pulled as much cinquefoil 'Nana' out of my front yard as I could (about 1/2 done) and tidied up out there. Also setup my second black plastic compost bin.

Tuesday, I set up the second of 3 sections of my veg bed, including taking the large open compost pile apart and shoveling all the "done" stuff into the new bed. (looks like I buried a body out there! It's just the right size and shape...)

Today, I dug up about 1/3 of the "alternative lawn" I made last year.... I discovered that layered newspaper wasn't tough enough to kill the wild buttercups. So I'm digging the buttercups and relocating them to an area I won't mind them being hip high. Then I'll cover the ground with CARDBOARD, add topsoil (again) and reseed all my johnny jump ups, clovers, alyssum, etc.

THEN I still have to dig the ditch lilies from another location for relocation where I won't mind THEM being tall.........

Tomorrow I have city errands. In the rain, likely, on the bus.

Friday, weather permitting, my kind young neighbor has his day off and will help me move some heavy stuff. He doesn't mind helping me a time or two in the Spring and Fall because I let him and his fiancee "babysit" potted plants for the summer on their deck. It's a good exchange.

When the rain does stop - Saturday?? I'll start on that third section of veg garden, involving moving another 4x4x4 compost pile so I can dig out the "done stuff" to fill that end of the veg garden.

I'm having a lot of fun out there, despite the fact my back and neck are screaming at me!
Thank goodness for Excedrin.