Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc

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cc

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Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« on: February 26, 2023, 12:36 »
I was thinking burying the leaves but would digging them in do. I have to much compost (my own weedy stuff).
I have already used up all my cow manure. Now I found my leaves collected a few years ago look like they need a home.
If used as a mulch will it produce a nice hiding place for slugs.
I have also got a couple of compost bags of coffee grounds. Supposedly it stops slugs??
Has anyone noticed a significant reduction in slugs? 
« Last Edit: February 26, 2023, 17:46 by cc »

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Subversive_plot

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2023, 14:22 »
If they are partially rotted i would put in the composter now to make compost for later.

With newly-fallen leaves, I mulch and bag them with a bagging lawn mower. That mateial makes a good mulch, and mats down a bit so there are fewer places for slugs to hide.

I would only dig in leaves if you are also digging in a nitrogen-containing fertilizer at the same time. Leaves need nitrogen to break down. The nitrogen used in decomposition will be released back to the soil at some point, but will temporarily be less available to plants.
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Snowboar

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2023, 18:05 »
Shouldn’t because if it’s a couple of years old it should be a lovely crumbly texture like compost don’t use it as a mulch if it’s still solid leaves because it will for a Matt and stop water etc getting to soil

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Snowboar

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2023, 18:08 »
Coffee ground don’t do much in my experience also don’t add too many it one shot the make soil acidic if I remember correctly just and a few handful like you would blood fish and bone still good for you soil though as is all organic matter

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Snow

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2023, 08:34 »
I have too much compost


You must be the first gardener I have ever heard say that :lol: It isn't possible to make too much compost surely? How on earth did you manage that? I used about 1500l a year on my small plot

As for leaves, just let them degrade in the compost pile or on their own, things like oak and beech take a couple of years to decompose because of their lignin content, fruit tree leaves and lime leaves for example decompose easily in a season

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snowdrops

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2023, 10:16 »
I personally would use the rotted leaves for something else, my own seed compost maybe, or I’ve just used a load to mix through with a bag of peat free compost & my own made compost plus blood, fish & bone to pot up strawberries into hanging baskets, some for the tunnel & some to hang in the fruit cage. I’m hoping it will be ok :lol:.
I just put the fresh leaves in a wire mesh container to rot down, then about once a year tip it out & mix it up a bit as the top ones don’t rot so well.
If yours is well rotted it shouldn’t harbour slugs any more than your cow manure or soil will. Slugs are attracted to wet hidey holes & unrotted mulches as a source of food.
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cc

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2023, 10:44 »
I have too much compost


You must be the first gardener I have ever heard say that :lol: It isn't possible to make too much compost surely? How on earth did you manage that? I used about 1500l a year on my small plot

As for leaves, just let them degrade in the compost pile or on their own, things like oak and beech take a couple of years to decompose because of their lignin content, fruit tree leaves and lime leaves for example decompose easily in a season

I have 4 compost bins. I use all the normal stuff plus I collect grass cuttings from people and mix with saw dust. It rots very quickly.

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missmoneypenny

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Re: Leaves well rotted coffee grounds etc
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2023, 17:04 »
There’s evidence coffee grounds suppress growth, unless they are well rotted down.


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