Leaves!...it's that time again folks!

[Jay22]

Just had a look at Jute bags for composting leaves...takes one year and the bag decomposes too. Great idea!

[4390evans]

Do any of you use a leaf sucker to collect leaves?
Might break them down quicker with them being shredded on the way to the bag?

[KevinM67]

Do any of you use a leaf sucker to collect leaves?
Might break them down quicker with them being shredded on the way to the bag?

We got some junk mail from B&4Q at the weekend, they are selling one for £25 - I don't know if it's any good mind.

I forgot to add:
Me and my little lad had great fun last year collecting bags of leaves from the park across from where we stay - I mentioned to him last week about doing it again, however he's not so keen now that he's grown up to a 7 year old.

I will have to resort to bribery (AGAIN !!)

[sparrow100]

Oh- just remembered...remember to burn horse chestnut leaves

Spread of alien moth puts Britain's conker trees at risk | Nature | Environment | The Independent

Hadn't heard of that - what a shame. Most of the trees round here are chestnuts, oak and poplar. I get a builder's bag full most years from the gardeners who do our block. Though last year I forgot to give the bag back and I bet that means this year they won't give me any...

[KevinM67]

Oh- just remembered...remember to burn horse chestnut leaves

Spread of alien moth puts Britain's conker trees at risk | Nature | Environment | The Independent

Sorry Nicos, I missed this post when going through the thread.

We are surrounded by chestnut trees - this is a real bummer.

I'm wondering if the moth pupae/moth would survive being in a black bin bag for around 18 months ?

[Bal]

ZERO!!! i have nothing that sheds a leaf. Nor is there anywhere around here apart from a couple of almond leaves that amount to nothing.

I loved walking through the countryside kicking up leaves and watching the dogs run through, but no zero here.

Me too not a single tree in the garden or anywhere near it 😪

[Scoot]

Think I might add some leaves to my compost heap this autumn. I've only just started the compost heaps everything will take a year or so to rot down.

[KevinM67]

Oh- just remembered...remember to burn horse chestnut leaves

Spread of alien moth puts Britain's conker trees at risk | Nature | Environment | The Independent

Good wee bit on the BBC News this morning about this - it showed what to look out for on the leaves.
Leaves collecting is Saturday morning's task (damn these dark evenings and work).

[Dianaalice]

loads of lovely leaves around here. Me and my 90yr old Mum have had a 2nd session today (1hr) and we have got 11 extra large bags up to now. She wants another go tomorrow but I reckon it's going to rain.
We collect them off the grass, road and kerb side all the way up our street and no one seems to mind.
I try and get them before the council start coming round. It's quite a quiet road so the leaves are not as polluted as the ones a bit further round the corner.
Going to have to load up and take them to the lottie to make room for some more. I empty them in an open pallet bin that I made last year and have already use some from last year.
Sometimes community service people get that job to do so I wait till they have nearly finished and go begging a few bags. Got 15 off them last year.

Certainly rich pickings around here!

[Bal]

Been trying to persuade OH to come with me and collect the ones near our local hospital ( I don't have a single tree in my garden YET) he is reluctant as thinks we might get carted of by the men in white coats

[sparrow100]

Sometimes living in a block of flats pays off - this is my first haul of leaves from the block's gardeners:



And you can see there are plenty more to come. Not a chestnut among them. Which is good cos I missed that bit about their leaves on the news.

[Scoot]

So is it worth bagging a load up in bin liners as well?

I'll be throwing a load in my compost bin when they start building up at the bottom of the garden but if it's worth bagging them up, i will. When they have rotted down, are they good to dig into your veg patch?

[roitelet]

Leaf mould is a very good soil improver you can never have too much.

[bario1]

I think they take a lot longer to rot down than kitchen waste and green waste, so it's often recommended that you compost them seperately, as they may slow down your compost bin if you add too many. I always add some to my compost bin, but only small amounts at a time. I have used them in a thick layer as a mulch directly on my beds over Winter, and that seems to work well, you can just plant through them in Spring. I've always wanted to make a dedicated leaf mould bin, but I've never found the time or space yet!

[dilettante]

I didn't see that piece about the horse chestnut leaves. I knew I wasn't mad thinking they looked wrong with all those splotches on them. I need to go out and bag some more leaves tonight I think. I've just bought some new wellies, so I'm in the mood to go play outside.