Leaf mould experiment

[Dynamo]

18 bin bags full of leaves shredded up and then put back into the bags. After that I mixed the juice from the wormeries with water and poured it into the bags. It's supposed to be rich in nitrogen so should help it compost down. I'll leave them in the greenhouse now and see what happens. Watch this space.

[Jimny14]

Looks like a good way of getting turbo leaf mould. Interested to see how quickly it'll break down

[Dynamo]

Looks like a good way of getting turbo leaf mould. Interested to see how quickly it'll break down

Me 2. I feel a bit guilty about using plastic bin bags but hopefully I won't damage them too much and can re-use them.

I'm hoping that keeping them in the greenhouse will help them compost down even quicker.

[Jimny14]

What about an old plastic black bin similar to this?
Heavy Duty Dustbin Black Plastic 80L at wilko.com

Drill some holes in the bottom and it should last a lot longer than black bags. It could well still be movable too if you need to shift it out of the greenhouse later.

[bikermike]

I'm using bin bags and have the same guilt

I'm re-using them this year, and they seem to be ok - the things to watch are sunlight (degrades them), twigs in the leafmould (punctures), and tearing them when lifting. And a few holes will probably improve the amount of air that gets to them and so the breaking down...

[lottieguy]

Hi Ya, good luck dynamo, I have tried the black bag way and found it cumbersome emptying them at the end, and the bags were not reusable. I then went for the chicken wire way but they took quite a time and I ended up with only a third of what I put in. I an trying another way this time by putting the leaves directly on the plot with compost and letting nature take it's course. Will post a piccie when I get the chance. I also incorporated it into my rotation so all my beans will be grown on the leaf ground next season. Here's hoping. Good luck and be interesting.

[ESBkevin]

I've done most methods. Best is to shred the leaves first, adding enough moisture is essential else they are too dry. I've used urine as a starter as well as picking them up with grass cuttings added. Another lot had nettles thrown amoungst them as a starter. Contact with the ground is helpful (invert the bags or poke holes) to allow the little creatures etc. to infiltrate and do thier goodness in the breakdown process. I use a part pallet/part chicken wire enclosure these days and sprinkle some soil in the layers to 'seed' the microbes.
So far I've added about 4 builders bags of leaves to my bin (as heavy as I can lift onto my shoulder each time.
It's a start but I'd like more. I'm not sure I'd waste worm juice on my leaves as it's precious and potent as a fertiliser on it's own.

[Dynamo]

I'm not sure I'd waste worm juice on my leaves as it's precious and potent as a fertiliser on it's own.

When I was looking into buying the wormeries I read that the worm juice only works as a fertiliser for a short time and it goes off after a few months so if that's the case, seeing as I don't have any plants to feed at the moment there'd be no point in keeping it. I get gallons of the stuff anyway.

[Jay-ell]

I guess that any active bacterial part of the worm juice would die off after a while but the nutrients and minerals held in the juice would still be there yonks later

[ZsaZsa]

I've got a plastic tray wormery and I get very little juice. Could it be that the bedding is too dry?
Back on topic, I too shredded some of the leaves and they seem much faster at breaking down into leaf mould then whole ones (they tend to stick together) :-/
Does turning/aerating help or is that more the case with 'ordinary' compost?

[mothhawk]

I've got a plastic tray wormery and I get very little juice. Could it be that the bedding is too dry?
Back on topic, I too shredded some of the leaves and they seem much faster at breaking down into leaf mould then whole ones (they tend to stick together) :-/
Does turning/aerating help or is that more the case with 'ordinary' compost?

No, turning is not good for leafmould. The operative word here is mould. You are not composting the leaves with bacteria breaking them down as in a compost heap, you are leaving them for moulds and fungi to break down so the less disturbance the better as you don't want to damage the fungal filaments that will slowly spread through the leaves.

[KevinM67]

Rather than using bin bags that rip and deteriorate after a while, I've got some of mine stored in old compost bags (the others have been mowed first and put straight on the beds).

The 75 ltr bags are ideal when stuffed with mowed/shredded leaves and are as hardy as good quality rubble bags.

[Dynamite]

I did mine last year in a wheelie bin. Worked great. No air holes drilled, just the lid on the top which was always closed. Took about 6 to 8 months.

Regards Rob

[Owamya]

I've shredded my leaves and filled 3 tonne bags, drenched with a mix of water and urine. Asked me dad to check if the shredded leaves were warm, told me they were hot... bless, I forgot to tell him to wash his donnies afterwards.

[muck lover]

I have sooooo much leafmould. Ten big boxes full. I’ve been mulching with it. Used a bit after sieving for baby parsley plants which worked well. and I have some coarser stuff I’ve used with BFB for potatoes in pots. Which may or may not work....