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Post by sweetpea on Nov 24, 2019 23:46:19 GMT
I know you can speed up the composting process of your garden waste which is a bacterial process but I wonder if there is any way to speed up the decomposing of my collected shredded leaves which of course is a fungal process.
Normally I just leave them for a year or two prior to using but am running out of storage space lately.
Any ideas anyone?
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Post by grindle on Nov 25, 2019 8:39:59 GMT
couldn't find any suggestions other that shredding or mowing them  |
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Post by SueA on Nov 25, 2019 9:02:37 GMT
The only tip I know is that moisture helps so I usually collect them when they're wet or put a little water in with them if they're dry, I usually bag them up in bin bags & poke a few holes in the bottom & sides of the bag with a skewer or scissors to let a bit of air in & excess liquid out & leave the bags in a corner near the compost bins but it usually takes a year or two for mine to be usable.
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Post by sweetpea on Nov 25, 2019 15:05:56 GMT
Thanks, I always shred the leaves either with mower or blower vac and they are invariably wet so it seems i just have to be patient like usual.  |
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Post by roofgardener on Nov 29, 2019 12:06:21 GMT
EGADS.... you mean I can compost all those leaves that clutter up my lawn ?  ( looks at freshly-raked lawn, devoid of leaves, and has fond nostalgia for the Garden Waste wheely bin from last week, since collected by t'council) I must try this next year. |
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Post by Andrew on Dec 3, 2019 20:34:00 GMT
I've always put my leaves in the one compost bin along with my grass cuttings and kitchen peelings. Whilst some people say to keep your leaves separately, they also say that the secret to a good compost heap is a mix of material, and that mix seems to work for me. I usually cover the contents of the bin with a few empty compost bags over winter to keep some warmth in to help the rotting process. Come the spring I'll empty out the rotted material, and any less rotted material from the top will go back in the bin to start me off for the following year.
I don't think however there's a right or wrong way to make compost or leaf mould. I think it's a case of whatever works for you really, and that that will be different for each of us.
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Post by sweetpea on Dec 4, 2019 17:03:05 GMT
I've always put my leaves in the one compost bin along with my grass cuttings and kitchen peelings. Whilst some people say to keep your leaves separately, they also say that the secret to a good compost heap is a mix of material, and that mix seems to work for me. I usually cover the contents of the bin with a few empty compost bags over winter to keep some warmth in to help the rotting process. Come the spring I'll empty out the rotted material, and any less rotted material from the top will go back in the bin to start me off for the following year. I don't think however there's a right or wrong way to make compost or leaf mould. I think it's a case of whatever works for you really, and that that will be different for each of us. Oh there is definitely a wrong way to make compost as I have seen over the years when I worked in peoples' gardens. Some folk chuck almost any old stuff into their compost bin and sometimes I think they associate compost materials with rubbish. Done correctly the heap will heat up due to the action of bacteria. You can also let brandling worms do the job foe you but this takes longer and doesn't heat heat it up. When I get the time I will post the method to get the ideal garden compost which unfortunately isn't suitable for everyone. |
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