[sweet nasturtium]

So don't go to the trouble of building a chicken wire leaf composting bin thing? :?:

[WG.]

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

But all the laurels I know are evergreen.  Do you get deciduous ones?

[mkhenry]

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

But all the laurels I know are evergreen.  Do you get deciduous ones?

I know that WG but people do trim them, then some might think that its ok to compost the trimmed leaves.
Don't they trim laurels back in the far far north.
Ive just had to trim mine back and I have a few bags of leaves to dispose of and a pal asked if he could have them so that he could do just that.
Sometimes we take for granted things that we have known for years and fail to pass on important infomation because we think everybody knows that ,when in fact they don't.
So I repeat do not try to compost the deciduous leaves (that for WG) of the laurel.They are not nice.
How about that WG is that ok.  

[gobs]

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

But all the laurels I know are evergreen.  Do you get deciduous ones?

I know that WG but people do trim them, then some might think that its ok to compost the trimmed leaves.
Don't they trim laurels back in the far far north.
Ive just had to trim mine back and I have a few bags of leaves to dispose of and a pal asked if he could have them so that he could do just that.
Sometimes we take for granted things that we have known for years and fail to pass on important infomation because we think everybody knows that ,when in fact they don't.
So I repeat do not try to compost the deciduous leaves (that for WG) of the laurel.They are not nice.
How about that WG is that ok.  

And so is privet and rhubarb, just as an example, however it's so said they lose toxicity through composting. Would that not be true?

[WG.]

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

But all the laurels I know are evergreen.  Do you get deciduous ones?

Henry : I posted the above to save anyone worrying whether the bags of leaves they'd collected included any laurel leaves.  Just imagine some poor sod checking each leaf!   :roll:

Gobs, yes, I'd happily compost them if I had any (see http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=109)

[mkhenry]

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

But all the laurels I know are evergreen.  Do you get deciduous ones?

Henry : I posted the above to save anyone worrying whether the bags of leaves they'd collected included any laurel leaves.  Just imagine some poor sod checking each leaf!   :roll:

Gobs, yes, I'd happily compost them if I had any (see http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=109)

Quite right WG,Im just off to check a bag now ...............I brown one thats ok one more browm one that ok to one mor..............................................................................  

[sweet nasturtium]

This post reminded me I put some leaves in an old beehive type composter about 3 years ago.
Because I was having a bit of trouble with my joints I'd left them there undisturbed.
I only jammed them in there to get them out of the way and to stop them blowing everywhere.
So on reading this post I decided to take a look at them.
And there they are,whole leaves almost no sign of breaking down.Almost looking as they were when I shoved them in,and thats after around 3 years.
So break them up or crush them,stick them in plastic bags do anything but dont just leave thgem,they will take forever to break down.

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

1.  So Henry, what shall I do with my 480 bags of leaves that I hope to collect?  I take it yours didn't break down because they were too dry - shall I go with making a leaf composting bin out of chicken wire?

2.  I don't want to get involved in the evergreen / laurel leaves debate.  But you were right to consider that extreme newcomers like me may well put all sorts of nonsense into a compost / leafmould bin without knowing any better.
 

[mkhenry]

This post reminded me I put some leaves in an old beehive type composter about 3 years ago.
Because I was having a bit of trouble with my joints I'd left them there undisturbed.
I only jammed them in there to get them out of the way and to stop them blowing everywhere.
So on reading this post I decided to take a look at them.
And there they are,whole leaves almost no sign of breaking down.Almost looking as they were when I shoved them in,and thats after around 3 years.
So break them up or crush them,stick them in plastic bags do anything but dont just leave thgem,they will take forever to break down.

Also no body as said DO NOT USE LAUREL Leaves they are poisonous or toxic :?

1.  So Henry, what shall I do with my 480 bags of leaves that I hope to collect?  I take it yours didn't break down because they were too dry - shall I go with making a leaf composting bin out of chicken wire?

2.  I don't want to get involved in the evergreen / laurel leaves debate.  But you were right to consider that extreme newcomers like me may well put all sorts of nonsense into a compost / leafmould bin without knowing any better.
 

1.  Leaf mould is so good for the garden in everyway that the effort put in to make compost is well worth the return given.
My leaves were just stacked and squashed in,the result nothing happened,but done correctly you will be giving your soil a real boost and all the good insects a reat treat,so go for it you will not reget it one bit.
2. Just be clever in what you try to compost. You are doing ok so far .Keep it up.

[frazzy]

we make leaf mold every year from leaves off our local council and your right the wetter the better ours are heeped  in large pallet style bins and left to the elements .ours break down fine it also depends on the type of leaves i think beach leaves are the best and i,ve been told oak is the worst taking longer to decompose

[sweet nasturtium]

Frazzy our site gets nothing from the council - how did you arrange it with them?

[frazzy]

they just turn up with them i believe one of the older plot keepers asked a few years a go and now they share all the leaves out  between the allotment  sites that ask for them . why not  ring up your local council and ask if they could do this in your area . if they  say no you haven't lost any thing nothing ventured nothing gained as they say

[sweet nasturtium]

I might just do that- there are a real lot of trees round here, and woodchippings to die for.