Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Can i compost fallen leaves

sooty5sooty5 Posts: 107

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 ? 

«1

Posts

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532

    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.image

  • LoanaLoana Posts: 427

    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.. ;) 

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    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.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    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.

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    Like fidget, I make a separate heap for leaves, to which I add some grass in Spring and this seems to compost more quickly.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    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.

  • Anne17Anne17 Posts: 98

    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

  • sooty5sooty5 Posts: 107

    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.

Sign In or Register to comment.