"I'm not sure if this is always the problem, but just thought I'd share in case it helps - if you add a space, or hit Return, once you've pasted a link into a post, it usually makes it into a live link."
This was posted this morning by Librarians Garden.
I found it helpful....hope you do too.
Now can someone please explain the "quotes" function!
I thought I'd be smart and use my electric lawn rake to pick up the fallen leaves (not as many as Des will have) - I decided to rake first and mow afterwards.
No need to mow, the thing is so vicious it seems to trim the grass at the same time (and yes I did frequently check that it was on the highest setting because if you bump it drops down). As far as picking up leaves, it does it sort of, but the bag fills quickly and the Rowan leaves seem keen to stay put and ignore the tines...
It may not have been the great idea I thought.
Interesting about leaf litter taking longer to compost, it doesn't bother me though as it will have 18 months or more to rot down before I need it - I have more compost now than garden to put it on!
Best to keep large quantities leaves out of ordinary garden compost simply because they take so long. That's one reason for a separate leaf-mould heap. (The other is that it produces that wondeful stuff that Geoffrey Smith would have had in his sandwiches!)
If you have more compost than you need (happy chappie!) you can sieve some of it and add leaf-mould, loam and various other stuff to make potting compost. Or just tip it onto the soil anyway - the worms will take it all in. Or use it to fill a new raised bed. Or give it to someone less fortunate.
leaf mould breaks down by fungal action, garden compost by bacterial action, two different processes . This explains the difference in time to get to the end product.
Just to add to what Golarne has said about shredding Photinia leaves, Jennifer - anything waxy or leathery takes longer to break down just because it's more solid. Laurel and ivy are examples. Shredding helps enormously with those, or the aforementioned lawnmower method if you don't have a shredder
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
don't shred laurel in a confined space like a garage. It releases something akin to cyanide ( I'm told ) and gives a hideous headache. I speak from experience
Posts
"I'm not sure if this is always the problem, but just thought I'd share in case it helps - if you add a space, or hit Return, once you've pasted a link into a post, it usually makes it into a live link."
This was posted this morning by Librarians Garden.
I found it helpful....hope you do too.
Now can someone please explain the "quotes" function!
I thought I'd be smart and use my electric lawn rake to pick up the fallen leaves (not as many as Des will have) - I decided to rake first and mow afterwards.
No need to mow, the thing is so vicious it seems to trim the grass at the same time (and yes I did frequently check that it was on the highest setting because if you bump it drops down). As far as picking up leaves, it does it sort of, but the bag fills quickly and the Rowan leaves seem keen to stay put and ignore the tines...
It may not have been the great idea I thought.
Interesting about leaf litter taking longer to compost, it doesn't bother me though as it will have 18 months or more to rot down before I need it - I have more compost now than garden to put it on!
Best to keep large quantities leaves out of ordinary garden compost simply because they take so long. That's one reason for a separate leaf-mould heap. (The other is that it produces that wondeful stuff that Geoffrey Smith would have had in his sandwiches!)
If you have more compost than you need (happy chappie!) you can sieve some of it and add leaf-mould, loam and various other stuff to make potting compost. Or just tip it onto the soil anyway - the worms will take it all in. Or use it to fill a new raised bed. Or give it to someone less fortunate.
frogive me if I'm stating the bleedin' obvious.
leaf mould breaks down by fungal action, garden compost by bacterial action, two different processes . This explains the difference in time to get to the end product.
Just to add to what Golarne has said about shredding Photinia leaves, Jennifer - anything waxy or leathery takes longer to break down just because it's more solid. Laurel and ivy are examples. Shredding helps enormously with those, or the aforementioned lawnmower method if you don't have a shredder
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
don't shred laurel in a confined space like a garage. It releases something akin to cyanide ( I'm told ) and gives a hideous headache. I speak from experience