GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

16-06-2006, 03:48 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible

In article ,
(Pat Kiewicz) wrote:

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article ,
"TQ" ToweringQs AT adelphia.net wrote:

Leaf mold is good mulching material and it/s often free for the hauling,
but you still need a truck.

Nah. ;-) People throw out bags of leaves all over town all the time.
Just cruise the ritzier parts of town where folks pay to have people
rake leaves. The bags are on the curb and you can toss some in the
trunk, back seat and passenger side.

I can get at least three bags in the trunk, three in the back seat, and
one on the passenger side, and I drive a compact sedan. The best
bags are full but not really heavy. (So not only do I drive around
picking up other people's bags of leaves, I'm *picky* about it.)

snicker I know what you mean. Sometimes the heavier bags contain junk.

These get shredded each fall and compressed and bagged. Then I mix
them with a small portion of cocoa shells before mulching everything.

I use leaves mostly for winter mulching, and dump them as is. They rot
down nicely by spring. I am experimenting right now with a large number
of leaves doing "black bag" composting. They are about due. I wanted to
give them one year. The heavy mil' construction grade bags are good for
this.

Yes, the cocoa shells are pricey. And as a solo mulch cocoa shells tend to
mat up and mold. Leaves can sometimes mat when used alone, too. But
mix some cocoa shells into the leaves--no matting. Plus, the cocoa shells
will persist as the leaves dissapear.

I've never used cocoa shells but all the garden beds at work are filled
with a heavy layer of pecan shells! A few trees are coming up but other
than that, it seems to be working very, very well for weed control and
it's attractive.

And it's lasting forEVer!

(If I'm mulching where I've been having trouble with cats, I up the
proportion of cocoa shells in the mulch--the cats don't seem to like it.)

Makes sense. Cats would rather dig in sand instead of course organic
matter. I live on a busy street. Loose cats don't live long. :-( So sad!
I keep my own cats indoors.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson