On 7/14/2008 9:07 AM, Bob wrote:
I have an half acre, I sweep my lawn ever week and have a nice size mound of
grass. I will have alot of leaves this fall. I was wondering the best way to
compost these. We are building rasied beds for the garden we are going to
grow next year.
Thanks Bob



Mixing grass clippings (green matter) and autumn leaves (brown matter)
is excellent. Mix them thoroughly together. Find the best topsoil in
your garden and put a bucket of it on top of the pile. Water the pile.
Turn the pile over about once a month and make sure it stays moist (not
soggy).

After about a year, you should be able to sift it. I made a sifter by
nailing four 2-ft lengths of 1x4 lumber to form a bottomless box. I
fastened 1/4-in wire mesh to the bottom and handles to the top. I sift
over a tarp. Whatever lands on the tarp goes into a barrel. Whatever
fails to go through the sifter goes back onto the pile.

Note that my pile is almost 100% leaves (brown matter). I'm getting
leafmold, not true compost. The acidic nature of leafmold works great
with my alkaline soil.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/