What to do with leaves

[Jimmy]

Using my new(ish) trailer I now have a compost dalek full of leaves.
What should I do.
How long will they take to rot down.
I thought I might add a shovel of worms from my other compost bins.
Also, dare I say it, pee in the bin.

Any suggestions
Thanks Jimmy

[Bren In Pots]

Jimmy I've never used a dalek for my leaves mine go in a wire cage then when thats full I put the rest in old compost bags I tie the tops then punch a few holes in the bags.
It takes mine couple of years for the leaves to break down so they're not recognisable.

[Compostman2]

I would shred them using lawn mower then add them to a hot compost pile.

As for wee I save mine up in old milk bottle the dilute it before adding to compost pile.

[nickdub]

I use 1 ton yellow builders bags, usually free on any building site. The leaves take two years to turn completely in to leaf mould unless you mix them up after 6 months, which I never bother to do. You can use some partially decomposed after a year to go in the bottoms of containers.

Green leaves can be mixed with other compostable material, but dead leaves gathered in the Autumn should be kept separate as others have already said. The reason is that a good compost heap should heat up when microbes release energy from the plant matter, whereas dead leaves, like say on the floor of a beech wood, are broken down by different processes, fungal I think, and stay cold.

[Containergardener]

I've got then everywhere
Some soggy ones have gone into compost with card or newspaper layers.
Some in bin bags soaked and holes in bags.
Some in an old incinerator soaked as next lot go in.
Some in a big heap under the beech trees they fell off.
Lots more to come yet.

[annie8]

I put mine in an old plastic barrel after sticking them on the grass and putting the lawnmower over them. They rot down within a year enough for me to use as a mulch on the garden. It’s amazing how they reduce in size though. I filled the barrel a few weeks ago and already gone down so I will fill up again next weekend. Lots of leaves still falling.

[DWSmith]

Enough said! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9OhxKlrWwc

[lottie dolly]

ON the subject of composting,is it alright to put willow catkins in it,or the leaves,only my neighbough has a big one on the boundary,yet to get a chop back.

[Nicos]

Willow leaves are fine. They take about a year to break down.
I suggest you don’t put in branches as they may take root! ( never tried it though tbh)

[lottie dolly]

Thank you Nicos,the garden was littered by them plus the leaves on a tree the other side,now trimed,compost here we come,when you find your home.