To revert to the discussion about covering the heap. I understand leaf mould contains virtually no nutrients? Is this why there is no need to cover a leaf mould pile - no risk of nutrients leaching out into the ground?
It could possibly depend on where you live? How much rainfall? If the heap gets wetted in winter but dries out in summer, you may want to cover it to keep moisture in once it's wetted.. I live in an area of fairly high rainfall ( South Cumbria) and find if the heap is too wet when I want to dig it out, it's in wet layers that would smother things like wood anemones as they emerge in spring. I sieve a lot of mine through a fairly wide mesh sieve if it's going where delicate plants grow, but too much rain on the heap makes it difficult to sieve. I see a brown liquid seeping out of the bags, I assume it's tannin, but don't really know. I don't think you'd lose much in the way of nutrients from leaves in a heap.
Leaf mould contains virtually no nutrients, but is a great soil conditioner. Mine are kept in open chicken wire containers, or builders dumpy bags. I don't cover them.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I am wondering whether or not to put fallen "leaves" from western red cedar in my compost. I have five very large trees in front of my home and in the last couple of weeks of wind and rain they have dumped a huge amount of dead foliage. I have raked up a couple of contractor size garbage bags and could use them either in my compost or just dump them on my garden paths. What do you think?
I'd leave those to break down separately @BeeCee. If you can keep your dumpy bags somewhere out of the way, that would be ideal. Leaf mould is a very valuable resource. As long as they don't dry out, they'll gradually break down into a lovely medium for improving soil or using as a mulch etc. Thujas are slightly different from the usual foliage that drops too, so it wouldn't be great for your compost bin
The two processes - composting and making leaf mould, are also different. You can certainly add leaves to compost, but if they haven't been shredded first, it can slow the process down. Some are much slower to break down anyway.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@BeeCee so I do add these to my compost but always mow them up, this does speed the process rapidly even if you keep them separate which is also fine. I do find that if they are in quite large quantities, are fresh and if possible a bit wet then they will heat up very fast and compost well. Depends on your system mine is big and eats up that sort of stuff
No - you'd need tons and tons of it to make a difference @Uff , in the same way that adding ericaceous soil/compost to a border would do very little unless it was tons on a regular basis. The problem is that anything dropping from Thuja, or any conifer, isn't quite the same as what comes off an oak, or a beech etc. Completely different structure. I'd personally leave them where they fall @BeeCee , unless it's on a lawn, but I'd be wary of adding too much to an average compost bin unless they're well shredded or they're just needles. I'd keep them separate and use them as a mulch back under the thujas. Have you a photo of what they look like? Most of the stuff that comes off my conifers and pine just gets swept back under them
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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If the heap gets wetted in winter but dries out in summer, you may want to cover it to keep moisture in once it's wetted..
I live in an area of fairly high rainfall ( South Cumbria) and find if the heap is too wet when I want to dig it out, it's in wet layers that would smother things like wood anemones as they emerge in spring. I sieve a lot of mine through a fairly wide mesh sieve if it's going where delicate plants grow, but too much rain on the heap makes it difficult to sieve.
I see a brown liquid seeping out of the bags, I assume it's tannin, but don't really know. I don't think you'd lose much in the way of nutrients from leaves in a heap.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Spent a couple of hours clearing a bed so a nice pile of mown up gear to add to the compost
The two processes - composting and making leaf mould, are also different.
You can certainly add leaves to compost, but if they haven't been shredded first, it can slow the process down. Some are much slower to break down anyway.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The problem is that anything dropping from Thuja, or any conifer, isn't quite the same as what comes off an oak, or a beech etc. Completely different structure.
I'd personally leave them where they fall @BeeCee , unless it's on a lawn, but I'd be wary of adding too much to an average compost bin unless they're well shredded or they're just needles. I'd keep them separate and use them as a mulch back under the thujas. Have you a photo of what they look like?
Most of the stuff that comes off my conifers and pine just gets swept back under them
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...