We get tons of leaves too since we're surrounded by woods on 3 sides. I'm so glad. I chop them up with the mower and make a HUGE pile out of them. Next summer they'll be wonderful compost to add to my gardens!
I had so many that I ended up just raking them into the borders of my house as a mulch layer. If there still are too many come spring, I will do something else about it.
what is that you use to hold the leaves in? i'm raking tons and tons of leaves and would love to compost them but don't have a compost going yet. yours looks simple to put together. are open composts like that good with lots of rain? just wondering how the whole process works out. thanks :)
And to think that I've resorted to "stealing" the leaves that folks are putting out by the curb because I have no big trees in my neighborhood??? Some guys get all the luck. I just worked 13 bags of leaves into my compost/garden beds this weekend too. P~
Hi Red, I used to rake into my borders too but I think that putting them in a pile keeps the yard neater. Makes spring clean up easier too.
Hi Summir, I use vinyl coated wire fencing. You can buy a 25' roll at Home Depot or Lowes for pretty cheap. I'll have to do a post on how to put this together. It's really easy.
Hi OldRoses, No shredding. Just toss them in there. By next Fall they'll be rotted down nicely even with no turning. I do the same thing every year. Composting Pictures
Hi P~, Oh sure, I'm lucky enough to spend my weekends with a rake permanently attached to my hands. :) And who said, I wasn't going to do any leaf stealing? I can always start another bin. :)
I have filled up my 2 compost bins over the last two weekends. I also found out when I passed by Metropolitan Plant Exchange in Ft. Lee that they were giving away the left over pumpkins for free and got 5 of them to go. I didn’t get any for Halloween so I was really lucky. They were all chopped up and added to cook my compost 2009.
Hi Norie, Thanks for the Metro Plant tip. I have one nearby in Paramus. I didn't grow pumpkin in the garden this year so we only have a few little ones.
i'm excited to compost. just bought our first home and we have lots of trees on almost 1/2 an acre...with the season right now we have leaves all over. another question though, with it being open is it still ok to put veggie peelings and pumpkins in there?? just worried about attracting little critters.
We leave a layer of leaves on top of the garden -- after we've filled the compost bin, that is. I'm still not sure how much of the bin will decompose now that the temps are below freezing.
We take our neighbor's leaves too. My husband runs them over with the lawn mower and then makes a "leaf trifle" - layer of leaves, then layer of dirt, then hose it down and repeat. Add water and fluff every once in awhile. We have enough room and a secluded spot behind the garage so we don't need a container, we just have a big pile. If he doesn't chop up the leaves they take longer to break down. When he takes it out to turn into the garden he takes from the bottom of the pile. Every year the neighbors rave about his tomatoes.
P~
I used to rake into my borders too but I think that putting them in a pile keeps the yard neater. Makes spring clean up easier too.
Hi Summir,
I use vinyl coated wire fencing. You can buy a 25' roll at Home Depot or Lowes for pretty cheap. I'll have to do a post on how to put this together. It's really easy.
Hi OldRoses,
No shredding. Just toss them in there. By next Fall they'll be rotted down nicely even with no turning. I do the same thing every year. Composting Pictures
Hi P~,
Oh sure, I'm lucky enough to spend my weekends with a rake permanently attached to my hands. :) And who said, I wasn't going to do any leaf stealing? I can always start another bin. :)
Thanks for the Metro Plant tip. I have one nearby in Paramus. I didn't grow pumpkin in the garden this year so we only have a few little ones.