We've reached the time of year when the ground is covered in huge piles of leaves. Over the past couple of days Tony and I have been out and gathered eleven wheelie bin liners full. Our local green waste collection stops after this month so we will fill the green bin with some of the leaves and keep them moist until they break down. We can continue to add kitchen scraps to the bin over the next few months and I'll give it all a good turn every few days. It's a really warm and sheltered spot on the drive so the leaves break down really quickly. I've added a bag to each of my garden compost bins and thickly mulched one of my veg beds with leaves. I topped the layer of leaves with a layer of reindeer poop and the worms can work their magic on it all. The rest of the bags of leaves can sit behind the wood store and break down slowly in the bags until I need to use it. If it's dry on Friday morning we'll go and collect some more and the bags can sit in the trailer until I make space for them.
That's a whole lorra leaves, isn't it! Quite a job sweeping them all up.
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They all blow against a fence on one of our local walks. We just gather them up and it's really satisfying turning them into leaf mould.
DeleteI could use some of your leaves : ) We have sycamore trees planted along our road and after several dry days, I go out and fill some sacks with the dry leaves. I have managed over 40 now. During the winter I put them in the hens' run to keep their feet off the frozen ground. I also use them after we have a lot of rain because we have very heavy clay soil which doesn't drain well and the hens are often up to their ankles in mud. they love having leaves and turn them over and over and over in the hope of finding tasty bugs. Every now and then we rake out their run and put the very well chopped up (by the hens) leaves in the compost heap. the leaves keep them occupied as well as keeping their feet off the frozen ground or the mud. And they are free too.
ReplyDeleteThat's a brilliant idea and if I had hens I'd do the same. I bet the compost you make is fabulous.
DeleteThis really is the stuff of dreams. I very much want to jump in them x
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