[Lupin lurcher]

Hi all,  we had a delivery of leaves on our allotment on Friday, I have put some in a large container, I am wondering how long it takes to break down and what to do with it once it has, and what is the best way to cover it.  Many thanks. Mandy

[corndolly]

I suggest putting the leaves in plastic binliners ,ensuring they are damp first .Then tie a knot and stack them in a shady place for at least a couple of years.The leaves will break down and produce very good compost to be used as you wish, soil improver , mulch around plants,fruit bushes etc and I think as seed sowing compost.

[Christine]

You need to make sure that there is air involved in the making of leaf mould. If you are stacking them in sacks, punch some holes in the side of the sacks with a fork. They don't really rot without air and you need to ensure that they stay damp.

If you are using a container, has it got air access through the sides? Again you need to keep the heap damp.

You may need to turn and water your container heap in hot, dry weather. Any way to cover so long as it keeps the leaves in place and doesn't stop the air getting in.

Yes it will take a couple of years before you actually get the leaves rotted down. A lot of people actually add a bit of something like cut grass to help things along.  I use mine as soil improver - it's very good standard clay here and rain produces quagmires so anything to improve drainage.

[Lupin lurcher]

Thank you both so much, I have got air holes in the large container they are in and I will keep them damp, looks like once again with gardening patience is the game.  Thanks again. Mandy.

[Christine]

ah if you could only buy patience down the garden centre eh? 

[Goosegirl]

I have seven black bin bags of leaves that I have collected recently and I punched holes in them aas previously mentioned. The leaves are mailny sycamore, hawthorn, lime and some beech. Some leaves rot down quicker than others - in the past, I have had some lovely leaf mould a year later on. You can also make an open topped container out of chicken wire and tramp the leaves down as you fill, then keep fairly damp.

[tode]

The most important thing is to stop em drying out, and keep em well packed down (unlike compost).

[Babstreefern]

I must admit, I just shove mine into my compost so it gets mixed up with what's already in, and other stuff gets shoved on top, so it compresses and eventually you get good old black gold (not oil).  It works fine for me.

[Ivah]

I use the tonne bags for building materials. Fill them up then put some stiff plastic mesh on top with a couple of stones. By Spring you can combine two bags into one giving them a good stir as you do it. Usable by the next Spring so after 18 months. I use it to mulch the flower garden after its Spring clean. Thinking I might try sieving some and using it to make a potting compost with it replacing peat in the JI formulation.

[philsmith1967]

Wee on them every so often. This may be logistical more difficult for the ladies but the nitrogen acts as an accelerator. Grass,in small amounts, can have the same effect or chicken manure if you can get it.

[Lupin lurcher]

Thank you everyone. Phil I can see me getting arrested as my allotment backs onto a canal bank which alot of dog walkers use, I can see the headlines in the local paper, "Woman exposes herself to the world"  I will have to get my husband to wee into a bucket in the privacy of our shed.  Or maybe I could leave the bucket over by the toilets with a note on it saying all donations welcome, and fingers crossed it is only wee they do.







 


 

[Christine]

On a delicate technicality - male urine is fine, female not so due to the hormones. 

The minor matters that one has to raise. 

[Zippy]

Christine - why do we have to punch holes in the bags of leaves as I thought leaves rotted down anaerobically, just need to keep them damp and shut out air.

They do take a couple of years to break down sufficiently though, but then they are like black gold.

[paxo]

I stake out with chicken wire and fill up. I also add to heap. 18 month will give good stuff.

[peterjf]

we leave our leaves open to the eliments, they breaks down faster and the rats and mice dont nest in them