I saw Monty Don collecting leaves to make compost on TV last week. We don’t have leaves in anything like the same amount as he has but he suggested using a plastic bag to compost smaller quantities.
As it turned out to be a mild afternoon with some sunny spells I thought I’d sweep up the leaves that had fallen from the magnolia tree as they get really slippery on the path when they become wet.
Once swept into a pile the amount looked a little more promising. These were all transferred to a large black plastic bag given a good watering as they were on the dry side. As recommended a few hole were punctured through the bag before it was tied up to be left for the leaves to break down and form a rich crumbly compost. That’s the theory the practice might turn out to be something quite different.
The leaves that fall on the garden border will be left as they fall for the benefit of all the wildlife through winter.
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Yes, the theory is good but the practical is not so good. I used to do this but gave up. You need to use stronger bags like the ones compost comes in. I found that they needed to be checked regularly and turned into new bin bags far to much. The bags just break. Hope that helps you
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice Liz. I've some more leaves to sweep up so I'll transfer the whole lot into some old compost bags. Thought it sounded far too easy.
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