Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: LucasAndRichard on November 16, 2008, 15:24
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More stupid questions I'm afraid...what is the best way to turn loads (and loads) of leaves into something usable? Does it matter what type of tree they're from? Father in law told me to rkae them all up (from garden this is) and put them in black bin bags, then just leave them in the corner of the garden for a year then what came out at the end I could use as a mulch...didn't bother last year as couldn't really leave them anywhere the kids wouldn't try and eath them or build with them or something, but thought this year would be different, but can't work out if this is actually going to work!
Any suggestions?!?
:lol:
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I think you can heap them up in a home made chicken mesh box thingy in a shady spot so they don't dry out and they'll eventually rot down or as you say leave them in bin liners with a few holes punched in the bags.
They must be kept moist though for the fungal action to keep working.
This year I've just dug a load of freshly fallen leaves straight into the soil.
Don't know how this will do but all the old timers I know swear by it. :D
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Shredding them or running over them with the lawnmower speeds the proces up slightly and soem leaves such as Oak do take longer
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They must be kept moist though for the fungal action to keep working.
...that sounds smelly... :lol:
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This year I've just dug a load of freshly fallen leaves straight into the soil.
Don't know how this will do but all the old timers I know swear by it. :D
We've done the same as we were advised by one of the old masters from a few plot's down who gives us a load of advice and I'v got to say it's working a treat at breaking up our claggy clay soil already.
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From my experience, if you put heavy weight on the bags, that makes them rot down quicker. Mine are a mix of oak and ash leaves. Also I've tried mixing a bin bagful or so in with lawn clippings in a builders bag and the clippings do get the rotting going. I may try making holes in the bottom to let the worms in next year.
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don't they make your plot retain water more if you have clay soil?
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don't they make your plot retain water more if you have clay soil?
We are using raised beds so want them to retain some water in the summer.They just seems to brake the big clods up more as they rot.
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don't they make your plot retain water more if you have clay soil?
I think that they will break any clay soil up a bit with coarse organic matter and open up the soil structure and help the drainage. :D