The leaves are arriving. Managed to source quite a lot last year and put them in a dalek. They seemed to rot down quite quickly but would a wire netting container be better,
One possible problem with a dalek is that it can dry out. Wet the leaves as you put them in. Autumn leaves have almost no nitrogen and rot slowly, so I'd add an ample quantity of piss to get them moving.
...or grass clippings if you can't balance on the lip of the dalek...
Yes my car is full of Lewisham bags full of leaves! They handily leave them outside my house and outside our plot. I do get some odd looks as I pile them into the boot of my car but Im sure none minds!
Last year I managed to keep them moist and also sourced a supply of nitrogen. It was wet last year in October so they arrived quite soggy. Then they got buried in the spring. I have to say that the area where they went is now very full of worms. Tomatoes and potatoes seem to like them but not sure about the beans.
As you chop down your runner beans and other beans..add them in layers, chopped up, between the leaves..they seem to rot down quicker...or keep them in black bags well wet for at least 2 yrs....
Looking forward to this year's crop of "where I acquired/ pinched/ pilfered my leaves from" stories. ;D
If anyone in the York area needs some sacks to collect them in, I've got lots to spare.
Last year I bagged up 20 sacks of leaves just from my front drive, I was well chuffed cos I'd found a use for the charity bags that come through the door but no-one ever collects, only to discover now that these bags are very bio-degradable, so behind the sheds I've got piles of unrotted leaves half held together with shredded plastic. Back to the drawing board on that one....
Biodegradeable or chewable (by mice or rats looking for a warm place to nest)? ;)
>:(
The leaves remain stubbornly undropped here in Lincolnshire.
Quote from: small on October 23, 2010, 17:16:36
Last year I bagged up 20 sacks of leaves just from my front drive, I was well chuffed cos I'd found a use for the charity bags that come through the door but no-one ever collects, only to discover now that these bags are very bio-degradable, so behind the sheds I've got piles of unrotted leaves half held together with shredded plastic. Back to the drawing board on that one....
sorry small but that did raise a chuckle from me...sounds just the kind of thing that i would do! on a positive note,those bags would be ideal to transport the leaves to your plot,throwing them in a dalek bags and all
hope your leaves are rotting happily away now
Myself and borlotti have secretly been pilfering leaves from the council for the last couple of weeks, :-X keep it under your hat. :-X :-X :-X
Leaves normally take 12 months to compost but if you shred them first put in black bags wetted they only take 3 months, my vacume has a shredder attachment, tried using a garden shredder but it did not shred the leaves.
Leaves in compost bin takes ages to 'rot'..I run mower over mine..and all that chopped up leaves and some grass clippings go straight over the soil on beds..by spring worms have more and less sorted it all out and what little remains will be turned over or just buried under the next layer of mulch..
Only the oak leaves goes into compost ..those take much longer to 'rot' and I'll always have one that is processing some..worth of waiting though..really crumbly and lovely stuff once done ;D
I find that a few layers of soil between layers of leaves compresses the mixture, and seems to act as an activator too, as long as the pile stays wet. Mine rot down easily in 12 months.
You can use compost activator too.
My local council have delivered leaves for the last 3 years they have a few sweet wrappers and drink cans, there environment crime unit tried to stop it this year and claimed I had to obtain waste transfer licences etc and would not accept it was compostable material, however it has been sorted out now
I compost them with woodchip and grass clippings
Ohhh...licence for transfering leaves ::) ::)..sounds like coucils have too much time in their hands..what next...no wonder everything cost more..why don't they cut costs by composting all the licence papers and forget it ...for leaves ::)
SSSHHHHHH! been picking up fallen leaves from paths and grassy areas. All been washed by the rain.
The council are cutting down on staff so hope I can pick up more next weekend and the weekend after. I don't collect in bags but am lucky to have been given a large handy garden trolley. The only problem is that the trip to the plot is not very level.
I prefer to put the leaves into a wire netting "box" and if we have dry weather put water over the top.
Anyway happy leaf hunting everyone.
Bill
There was 40+ council bags stacked up either side of the road at the end of the park where my lottie is, needlessly to say when I went back for them the council lorry had taken them away, when its normal road sweepings the bloody bags stay at the top of our street for 4 to 7 days. >:( >:( >:(
Sorry Kev it was a real struggle to fit them in me van! ;D ;D ;D ;D
So I can use garotta on my collected leaves?
Duke
You can..but it aint gonna do much good..as leaves don't compost same as rest of the garden stuff do..
Leaves need bacteria and other little things from soil to 'digest'/break them down..they don't heat up at all on their own so garotta is bit waisted on them.
Your leaves just need moisture, contact with soil, time and patience and they will sort themselves out ;)
I'm going to collect leaves this year and turn them into our heavy clay soil, that should help break the clay up. My wife persuaded me to buy a Blower/Vac, but it's harder work using that than using the broom and hand-boards. I've already collected a lot but there is an old oak with masses more leaves on it.
You git Lottiman, mind you your a bit from home. ;) ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: goodlife on November 08, 2010, 15:29:22
You can..but it aint gonna do much good..as leaves don't compost same as rest of the garden stuff do..
Leaves need bacteria and other little things from soil to 'digest'/break them down..they don't heat up at all on their own so garotta is bit waisted on them.
Your leaves just need moisture, contact with soil, time and patience and they will sort themselves out ;)
mix them in with old used compost, then apply some garotta.............
Can I dig in any of this year's fallen leaves when I turn over my soil in a week or so's time. I have a small plot that I plan to leave empty over winter as I plan to dig in a load of compost and manure - some now and some in early spring - to try to condition the soil a bit. I also want to let the frosts get to it. I though I would just dig in the leaves where they have fallen - which is fairly evenly across the whole plot.
Can I dig in any of this year's fallen leaves when I turn over my soil in a week or so's time
..yes you can..after all worms would pull them in if left it to the nature...
Last couple of years I've stopped digging the leaves in and instead leaving them as thick mulch over previously dug or weeded ground..usually just weeded...my theory is that with mulch layer on top I get less compaction and and the soil stay much 'fluffier' than letting winter rain to 'hammer' the surface and wash all nutrients away.
At the moment I've got 4-6 inches of leaves, grass clippings etc. on top of the some of the beds which I may turn over in spring..that depends what it all looks like then. If there is plenty of weed growth I'll dig it in if not I carry on mulching.