Hi everyone , My Cherry tree has just shed its leaves and i have tried in the past to make leaf mould from them with little success . I have a small garden and wondered if i just put them in the compost bin would they decompose by next year ? Has anyone tried this ?
Posts
They shouldn't go in the compost bin,they take longer to rot down. If you put them in a black bag with holes in let them rot down for a year then put them in the compost bin, see if that works.
i would like they should compost well, we have 8 oak trees and soooo many leaves. We pile them on our compost he and some in our garden bin, as there are so many....then i barrow it around the garden when it is ready..
I have always added leaves to our compost heap (not a bin,an open heap) and they have always rotted down well. Oak leaves maybe a lot slower than some, but Cherry should decompose easily if mixed with other material.
I confess to running the lawn mower over them, but that is to pick them up. However, it does shred them up a little which obviously helps them break down in the heap.
We mow them up and put into a bag. Then when we cut the grass next spring, the wet grass cuttings get mixed with the oak leaves. It heats up, a few turnings and it is done. A lot faster than leaf mould.
Like fidget, I make a separate heap for leaves, to which I add some grass in Spring and this seems to compost more quickly.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Yesterday I turned my compost bins (year old); the leafs were the only recognisable thing in there. They do compost but take a little bit longer. I've just thrown them back in the compost bin for the next turning in spring.
This autumn I'm throwing all my leafs in a separate compost bin.
I just had a look at last years bags of leaves. As far as I can tell, I still have bags of leaves, albeit, slightly squashing. Look to be a long way off Monty's friable leaf compost
See the discussion: Where can I find a leaf shredder? at http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/tools-and-techniques/where-can-i-find-a-leaf-shredder/989446.html
Thanks everyone , still not sure what to do though . Anne that is what i have always found, Haven't room for another compost heap or bin so maybe it's down to bags again and patience.