Composting leaves.

[Bill HH]

My garden is full of leaves because we live in the shade of a huge sycamore tree. My question is does it matter if your leaves are mostly one type, are some not so good as others. I know sycamore seeds can be poisonous but are the leaves ok?

[Capsid]

I have 3 sycamore trees and I collect the leaves. By the time they have been broken down in a year's time I doubt there is any poison to worry about.

[rustylady]

You're not going to eat them, so it doesn't matter whether they are poisonous or not.

And it doesn't matter whether your leaves are all one sort or mixed, they will still rot down into valuable leafmould.

[Bren In Pots]

Bill my leaves go into a wire bin then the following year when they've broken down a fair bit I bag them up then start filling the wire bin again, i do it this way because I was running of out space to store half filled bags.

[roitelet]

Interesting article in my French gardening mag this week. I said that leaves with long stems like sycamore, ash, lime, poplar and the like are best used as a mulch as they decompose slowly. Pine needles are used as a barrier against slugs and should not be added to leaf mould as they are acid.

[Kirk]

They will compost down, think may take 2 years to compost fully.
Have read that you can collect them, put in a black bag, tie the top and make a few hole in it and just leave the bag to compost away happily.
Don't be overly tidy as the worms drag a lot down and digest them.

[kathyd]

Interesting article in my French gardening mag this week. I said that leaves with long stems like sycamore, ash, lime, poplar and the like are best used as a mulch as they decompose slowly. Pine needles are used as a barrier against slugs and should not be added to leaf mould as they are acid.

Mmm, they're suggesting using leaves here too - I assume they mean before they've broken down, just as they fall? Seems like a good idea to me . Didn't know about pine needles against slugs - has anyone tried it?

[Two_Sheds]

does it matter if your leaves are mostly one type

I don't think so, no. One day I'll be collecting all sycamore, another day it'll be oak ~ it depends when the leaves fall.

They all eventually get incorporated into the soil and mixed up by worms

I know sycamore seeds can be poisonous

for humans to eat, yes. But you aren't going to eat the leafmould, so compost-away