for the last couple of years if collected leaves in my wheelie bins from a tree lined grassy area. I made my thirteenth and last collection yesterday for this years vintage. I store the collected leaves in two of the large square sacks the sort that sand and aggregates are delivered in. I chopped dry leaves with my rotary mower and wet them having put them in the sacks. Already wet leaves are added as they were collected. You could use an accelerator to help the rotting down process. I've been advised that beer or cider will do the job and is probably cheaper than propriety brands. I will place cardboard on top of the sacks to stop the leaves drying out too much or prevent them getting too wet. The cardboard will gradually rot down like the leaves. I ended up with about a quarter of what I collected last year and it was great stuff. I will leave what I've collected now until next May then I will be able to mix the two sacks into one re-wetting the leaves. I will repeat this Monthly until next September/October when the contents should be ready to spread around the garden or bag for later use.
I got 4 bin bags full but I know this won't go far so will go out again Saturday and collect some more.
Gardeners world seem to advise a chicken wire area over bin bags so I'm not sure yet. I have built the chicken wire bit and will look less sightly I feel. But only front is exposed and back and sides are against a fence. Think ill add slight plastic sheet on wire at front so has half the wind etc and keep some warmth in and add some cardboard in layers like yourself
i think the mesh cage for the leaves is the best idea, they need the rain on them. Maybe best not to cover, they will get lots of worms if they are just left on the ground, not in bags. Having said that, I did use a builders dumpy bag once. They just take a bit longer.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I had an area set aside for leaves and it worked well - out of sight, could just let nature do it's thing, but also tried filing old compost bags with a few slits in the bottom, adding a bit of water, or leaving the tops open for rain to get in - worked just as well, and about the same time to decompose, but easier to move around the garden afterwards. I find a mixture of different leaves is best, if you can find them.
And oh, that wonderful leafmould smell when it's ready.....
ill have to go get some more at the weekend. im sure 4 bags wont go far. the same place as before is still covered in leafs over the pavement. but it is still slightly embarrassing to be collecting leaves from public walkway.
i will just use my wire area, its a bit in sight but will be ok and would look cool if i can fill it right up.
ill make the front wire be slightly smaller area by adding some plastic sheet and add leafs and odd bits of brown paper/ cardboard i have in layers here and there and then just let the rain come in from the top and add more when starts to dry out. I had better cover the fence as will rot no doubt
only issue i can see is if the lawn mower will actually cut up, standard fly mo so maybe a bit tricky, else put all leafs in the wire area and uses a strimmer and be careful
Yes Marc - if it's against a wooden fence, put something in between otherwise the fence will also become compost.
I'm not sure a Flymo will do the job; an ordinary rotary mower will, or you can get special mulching mowers that chop them up better - but there's no pont buying one just for that! Strimming inside the cage might be a touch on the dodgy side. They'll rot soon enough anyway.
There's also no point (in my opinion) in spending good money on worms. They will find their way in within a few weeks anyway and multiply over the next months. Woodlice, springtails, slugs - all the minibeasts that like the leaves. And it's fungi that do much of the work anyway.
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for the last couple of years if collected leaves in my wheelie bins from a tree lined grassy area. I made my thirteenth and last collection yesterday for this years vintage. I store the collected leaves in two of the large square sacks the sort that sand and aggregates are delivered in. I chopped dry leaves with my rotary mower and wet them having put them in the sacks. Already wet leaves are added as they were collected. You could use an accelerator to help the rotting down process. I've been advised that beer or cider will do the job and is probably cheaper than propriety brands. I will place cardboard on top of the sacks to stop the leaves drying out too much or prevent them getting too wet. The cardboard will gradually rot down like the leaves. I ended up with about a quarter of what I collected last year and it was great stuff. I will leave what I've collected now until next May then I will be able to mix the two sacks into one re-wetting the leaves. I will repeat this Monthly until next September/October when the contents should be ready to spread around the garden or bag for later use.
Gardeners world seem to advise a chicken wire area over bin bags so I'm not sure yet. I have built the chicken wire bit and will look less sightly I feel. But only front is exposed and back and sides are against a fence. Think ill add slight plastic sheet on wire at front so has half the wind etc and keep some warmth in and add some cardboard in layers like yourself
Ill try the mower on it all soon
All sounds good, Thornhill.
The beer or cider works better if you drink it first, as discussed elsewhere.
Could get some worms also, or even drunken worms
The worms and other beasties will appear as if by magic after a week or three.
But if you get them drunk I'm sure the munchies would come
Will they get drunk on re cycled beer
i think the mesh cage for the leaves is the best idea, they need the rain on them. Maybe best not to cover, they will get lots of worms if they are just left on the ground, not in bags. Having said that, I did use a builders dumpy bag once. They just take a bit longer.
horses for courses methinks
I had an area set aside for leaves and it worked well - out of sight, could just let nature do it's thing, but also tried filing old compost bags with a few slits in the bottom, adding a bit of water, or leaving the tops open for rain to get in - worked just as well, and about the same time to decompose, but easier to move around the garden afterwards. I find a mixture of different leaves is best, if you can find them.
And oh, that wonderful leafmould smell when it's ready.....
ill have to go get some more at the weekend. im sure 4 bags wont go far. the same place as before is still covered in leafs over the pavement. but it is still slightly embarrassing to be collecting leaves from public walkway.
i will just use my wire area, its a bit in sight but will be ok and would look cool if i can fill it right up.
ill make the front wire be slightly smaller area by adding some plastic sheet and add leafs and odd bits of brown paper/ cardboard i have in layers here and there and then just let the rain come in from the top and add more when starts to dry out. I had better cover the fence as will rot no doubt
only issue i can see is if the lawn mower will actually cut up, standard fly mo so maybe a bit tricky, else put all leafs in the wire area and uses a strimmer and be careful
maybe buy some worms also and throw in the top
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dendrobaena-Fishing-Worms-Reptile-Livefood-Compost-Wormeries-30g-1-Kg-/271375134852?var=&hash=item3f2f37f084:m:mk8cO_UkizQ6MTXhUFuzUng
Yes Marc - if it's against a wooden fence, put something in between otherwise the fence will also become compost.
I'm not sure a Flymo will do the job; an ordinary rotary mower will, or you can get special mulching mowers that chop them up better - but there's no pont buying one just for that! Strimming inside the cage might be a touch on the dodgy side. They'll rot soon enough anyway.
There's also no point (in my opinion) in spending good money on worms. They will find their way in within a few weeks anyway and multiply over the next months. Woodlice, springtails, slugs - all the minibeasts that like the leaves. And it's fungi that do much of the work anyway.