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Posted: Jun/02/2008 6:50 AM PST
As stated in a couple of other forums, I am brand new at this gardening business. We have 2 acres with 110 trees, most of which are live oaks. Needless to say, too many to rake or pick up, so I grind them up with the mower. We have just had a very good rain and these grindings are kind of piled up in several places around the yard. Now the question. Is tthere anything these ground up leaves may be used for? It's my understanding thast theese leaves are somewhat acidic. Will this make compost that is usable? Can lime be added to sweeten it? Or should I just push it all down the hill? Any advice will be appreciated. June 11, '08 THANX TO ALL FOR THE SAGE ADVICE, next logical question....... With all of these LIVE OAKS there is an abundance of spanish moss. Can this be composted also? Yes this stuff is the romantic icon of the old south, but as far as I can tell it's best attribute is plugging up the bagger on the mower |
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Posted: Jun/02/2008 8:40 AM PST
Oh, don't push it down the hill! Those in grass clippings, veggie peelings, coffee grounds, just about any kind of scraps except meat. You can toss in lime, triple super phosphate and all kinds of goodies. Keep it moist and turned and you'll soon have some black gold! We have compost piles all around the edge of our woods in varying stages of decomposition. I don't like to let them get too big because it slows down the process, I think. |
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Posted: Jun/02/2008 1:35 PM PST
That is the basis of some great soil! Witt- I like to keep it one the smaller side too, easier to turn 
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Posted: Jun/02/2008 6:21 PM PST
They get compacted and unwieldy when they are too big, don't they? What's your optimum siize? For me, it's a cubic yard. |
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Posted: Jun/03/2008 1:45 AM PST
You've got to be kidding me, stereo. I used to tell my school kids that I don't do math. I can spell it, but I can't do it. I guess it's a good-sized load. I wouldn't know a cubic yard from square foot! |
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Posted: Jun/03/2008 9:25 AM PST
Mine are about 4 x 4 x 2-3 ft. That's just started size- it gets smaller pretty quickly as the magic takes place. The "bins" themselves are 6 x 6 x 4 (we used some clearance fencing to build them, open front. Right now it's really hard to turn the piles because we stacked the patio pavers there when we pulled them up to build the addition. Still haven't re-built the patio  I have to climb over about 2-3 ft of unsteady pavers to even get to the piles
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Posted: Jun/03/2008 9:58 AM PST
Aurora, do be careful doing that! |
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Posted: Jun/04/2008 9:01 AM PST
While a small compost is easy to handle with 110 trees you would have them all over your property When we were kids we had a huge compost built on a hill side 10x10 it had a ramp we wheeled the leaves in to dump over the top Yes it look longer to break down but when you are dealing with that large amount of material who cares. It was never turned and every spring Mother would go down the hill and pull finished compost out of the bottom and the sides... I have no idea if she ever reached the middle. now she does the same thing with much smaller piles but the just sit and do their own thing and a year of so later we pull it out from the down hill side. The oak leaves do break down faster if you shred them she also bags her grass so the combination makes great compost. compost does not have to be hard work if you are not in a hurry it will do its thing on its own |
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