Leaves - useful info

[Kazz]

Okay people are ou being sprinkled with leaves in your garden. How about making them useful, turn them into leaf mould.

If you have a biggish garden make a box about about a metre square, 4 posts knocked into the ground -about a metre apart and put wire round it put your leaves in, maybe add a little dividing layer of soi or old compost to get it going. Then put a piece of old carpet or black plastic over the top, weight it down with a brick or something.
Leave till next year, excellent leaf mould.
If you add activator to the above build up in layers like a cake and add in layers like the soil.

There is a product called leaf mould activator eg like Biotal. Speeds up the process.

If you haven't got the space for that or the inclination like me do this, use black plastic rubbish bags. Rake up leaves and put them straight into plastic sacks, filling them about three-quarters full. Add a leaf-mould activator - if you wish. Shake the bag, then tie up the top. Pierce the sides a few times to make holes. You'll still need a space to tuck the bags away for the year that it takes for the leaves to break down.

Once the leaf mould is fully decayed, there should be no whole leaves present - just a crumbly brown/black compost which can be put through a coarse sieve to remove twigs etc. The leaf mould can be added to potting compost (1 part leaf mould to 4 parts potting compost), or used liberally in the garden as a plant mulch, or dug in to improve soil structure.
Leaf mould is quite high in nutrients. However, the main benefits of using leaf mould are derived from the fact that it is an excellent soil conditioner, and has beneficial fungi within its structure. It will provide food to enable the micro bacteria in your soil to carry out their task of enabling plant life to live.
Most plants in the wild natural state, in fact live off leaf mould - in one form or another!

So instead of throwing your leaves away start saving them even those from the park might not be a bad idea.

[Mags]

Thanks for that Kazz.......... I still have a black bag full of leaves from last year after your tip. I haven't looked in it yet so now may just be the time!

[Kazz]

Should be pretty much perfect if its a year old Mags, Its a brilliant soil conditioner. Your plants will love you.

If you have a bag or so from this year then why not use some of the old bag mixed in with the new bags to start the process going you should find then it breaks down well and you could use it for next Spring. Considering leaf mould is from a good garden centre (homemade) 3 bags for £10 you are saving a bit and know its good.

[Mags]

Good idea, I think I might just do that Kazz........thanks!

[Moli]

thanks for the tip Kazz, definitely going to try that....

[dandysmom]

Space is at a premium here, but think I could manage a big bagful tucked away in a corner...will give it a try!
Oh, and a question: can you add kitchen refuse like potato parings, cabbage leaves, etc. to the bag of leaves as you would do with a compost heap?

[Kazz]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

Space is at a premium here, but think I could manage a big bagful tucked away in a corner...will give it a try!
Oh, and a question: can you add kitchen refuse like potato parings, cabbage leaves, etc. to the bag of leaves as you would do with a compost heap?

Nope.

But you could start a compost bin Eileen

[dandysmom]

No room!! Tiny City yard!

[Kazz]

Never mind find room for a bin bag of leaves. Homegrown compost