The best way to recycle is by composting leaves. This will not only help Mother Nature, but you’ll create an impressive garden full of rich nutrients and soil that improves with every passing day!
There are many benefits in just waiting for springtime when it the time to harvest comes!
The Benefits of Leaf Compost
The rich and dark compost made from leaves can be used as soil to help nutrients enter your garden.
The earthy mix will also enhance the tilt of compacted ground, retaining moisture in a way that repels weed growth when applied on top or around plants growing there!
How to Compost Leaves
You don’t need to have a complicated structure for your compost bin. A pile is also acceptable and it will just take some care in maintaining the right temperature (60 degrees F/15 Celsius) that’s warm enough so as not make things soggy but still allows air circulation around its contents.
The general bin would be 3ft square feet space per person, giving you ample room while turning over the compost in order to allow air circulation and improve moisture.
Laying out a layer of leaves in the garden is an excellent way to break up soil and give your crops more nutrients.
Chop them up with your mower, spread evenly over all dirt/gravel area you have prepared for planting this year’s vegetables and put one thin covering (no padding) on top; then till it into ground when spring comes around again!
You’ll also need plenty carbon from things like grass clippings if you want good plant growth, plus adequately moistened leaf litter during dry periods – we recommend adding some “green” materials such as dried leaves or potting soil every few months.
Fast composting of leaves starts with one layer 6-8 inches of leaves, 1 inch soil and manure or other green nitrogen source.
You can add a cup of nitrogen fertilizer as well! Mix these layers every 2 weeks in order to keep the soil moist so they break down quickly.
Problems With Composting Leaves
You can compost diseased leaves, but it takes such high temperatures to kill the pathogens that are not sensitive in winter. These germs will end up infesting your garden and could even infect plants there!
To avoid this problem you might want send these materials off for processing at a county yard waste program where they have access to heated facilities, or simply dispose them properly.
In order to maintain proper balance in the compost pile, first you need to replace any browns with green materials (grass clippings or food scraps).
Turning and watering your pile will help mix these organic ingredients together for a good ending product!
If you follow these simple steps, your garden will be much more enjoyable and productive.