Leaves, Leaf Mould, Autumn Detritus

[Muddy_Boots]

I was looking out the front of my house which has two large trees in the cul-de-sac where I live, both which are shedding their leaves, The build up on neighbours drives and the road of leaves, stalks and detritus from the trees was building up and parts of the really wet stuff was starting to rot. Checked with the neighbours affected if they wouldn't mind me pinching their leaf litter off their drives and they were all too happy to let me take it. I now have 8 bin bags of leaf litter and will be collecting as much more as I can, I can't believe there is so much of this stuff being ignored and not collected when it can do your garden heaps of good its just the hassle of taking the time to collect the stuff. After taking the dog this evening for his walk into the local Victorian era park where the amount of leaf matter on the grass is huge was wondering if the council would object to me removing some of it.

Do any of you lot bother collecting the leaf detritus at this time of year or not?

[ameno]

I usually rake up a couple sackfuls from some of the trees on the edge of my allotment, although I just add it to the compost bin rather than making leafmould with it.

[Bren In Pots]

We have a Silver Birch tree between that and our neighbours' trees we rake a fair bit up of the garden, it gets bagged or put in a wire bin. Usually, it takes a couple of years to turn into lovely leaf mould.

[bramble]

Yes, I always collect the leaves. We have a green area behind our house with a mixed selection of trees.
I bag them up to turn them into leaf mould. I also dig them in under the potatoes when I am planting them outl

[AndyDW]

Hi all.

I have a lot of woodchip and sawdust stuff, the remnants of chainsaw work.

I've always resisted putting it into the compost because of my misgivings about contamination from the chainsaw oil (miniscule I realise) !

I often wonder if I am being over cautious, what do you all think ?

.......
Andy

[ameno]

Hi all.

I have a lot of woodchip and sawdust stuff, the remnants of chainsaw work.

I've always resisted putting it into the compost because of my misgivings about contamination from the chainsaw oil (miniscule I realise) !

I often wonder if I am being over cautious, what do you all think ?

.......
Andy

Chainsaw oil is generally made up of highly refined non-volatile mineral oils. It's inert and fairly harmless, at least in small quantities.
Personally, I wouldn't have any problem with composting the sawdust or woodchips, at least as long as they weren't visibly soaked in oil.

[Plot70]

Sawdust from treated wood takes years to break down.

[AndyDW]

Sawdust from treated wood takes years to break down.

Non of it is from treated wood, al natural stuff.

[mrsbusy]

We are surrounded by deciduous trees - mainly beech - no one seems to either collect them to make compost or to tidy up the pavement. It is quite a pet hate of mine because not only is it a waste of valuable material, the pavements get mucky and slippery and the gutters and storm drains clog up with the leaves. I do collect many bags of leaves and I find that they can be used the following year. Damp leaves are best.