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Leaf mould
Richard168
Posts: 115
I put together a wire cage last year and collected (only a fraction) of the leaves in my garden and filled the cage. I have left the leaves open to the elements and it is now about 25% of the mass at the start of the process.
I would like to know should I be turning the pile? If so when/how often?
As the leafs break down further eventually to a usable material how do you store it or should it all be used in one season?
Finally if I dont turn it I am assuming it will take 3 years to become usable. Is this correct? If so I will build another two cages over the next two years so will have an ongoing supply
Thanks for any information you can give me
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Posts
leaf mould is produced by fungal activity and shouldn't be turned.
Garden compost rots down by bacterial activity which is aided by turning.
In terms of usability. It depends on your intentions. If it's for mulching, you might be able to use it now, if you want to use it to produce use in " potting compost" it needs to be as crumbly as the stuff you'd buy in compost bags in the garden centre.
Luck you: leaf mould is invaluable either as a mulch or as a compost, if you have space & the leaves available make & use as much as you can.
I'd go with your plan to make more cages and then you'll have a continuous supply of 3 year old stuff in a couple of years. When you 'harvest' it, throw the top layer (which will still be unrotted leaves) into the next bin which will also help to transfer some fungi across.
Last edited: 19 July 2017 13:15:32
Richard, leaf mould needs air and damp, so yes turn it every few weeks with a fork, make sure it is damp not soaked and cover with a plastic sheet weighed down. It is high in carbon and my way was to put the leaves on the drive and run the mower over them to chop them down a bit for a quicker yield it should only take a year in any case. I used plastic bags filled with leaves damp it cut some holes in the bag for air then put it behind the bushes out of sight remembering to turn the bag over every few weeks and checking it was damp. Being on a country lane with trees along it leaves were easy to come by and as it is a very good additive to compost I collected loads hence the plastic bag method. You have gardening gold in that cage use it well.
Frank.
Lol I am reminded of the joke put two gardeners in a room and you will get three ways of doing stuff.
To turn or not to turn? I will take the easier longer term option of not turning. The reason is I have 2.5 acres to look after and I am only at home at weekends so letting nature do the work for me sounds good.
Contstant supply, yes I have decided I will have at least three large cages on the go, at the moment I dont know how much I will need each year but it wont go to waste.
Thank you all for your help
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=478
"Place the leaves into a bin liner, moisten them if they are dry, then pierce holes in the bag with a knife or garden fork, tie the top loosely and stack the bags out of sight for up to two years."
I'm still saying " no need to turn"
Your garden, your choice.
Yes turning compost is all about speed of decomposition & getting a more even end product.
I do agree that if you can run over leaves with a mower to chop them up a bit they will breakdown faster & produce a more even textured end product- better if you want to use it as a potting compost mix. If you are using the leafmould as mulch this is less important.
The advice I write on here is from donkey's years of experience, take it or leave it in other words. As a lad knee deep in the midden turning the horse manure and green waste i would ask Dad why we had to do it. "Well lad you can have it ready for next year with plenty of good food or we can leave it alone for three years and starve for two of them". He was a dead keen old style gardener, I did it his way.
The Council waste that they turn into compost is piled high for heat turned weekly for air and sprayed with water for the dampening, because of those things they can produce compost for sale in a few weeks. we do not get the heat needed so my compost takes four to five months in summer much longer in winter. If I turn the leaf mould bags every few weeks it takes minutes and I have usable compost in a year if it is not turned it takes two or three. That is my experience, if you do not wish to turn it then don't, if you wish to speed up the process turn it. As for the normal compost it takes little time to fork it into the wheel barrow turn what is left, damp it and toss it back, why pay for a Gym when you can do the exercise at home. We are individuals you pay's yer money and takes yer choice.
Frank.
The best answer. I collected all my leaves and did as above. Left them on the top of the shed without turning - climb ladders every few weeks!? No thanks! Five years later I have bags of black gold.
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