On 3/7/10 7:30 AM, DirtBag wrote:
I started my first compost pile last fall, mostly leaves mulched with my
mower. I turned it several times, but given the limited time, it's not
yet compost - mostly just leaves.

Anyway, I'm planning to use raised beds this season, and I was hoping to
use this "compost" in the raised beds. I was planning to rototill this
compost into the first several inches of soil, then install the raised
beds, add some more of this compost, and finish off with some local
topsoil from the local nursury.

Am I missing something? Will this leaf-compost be problematic? Should I
swap the topsoil planned for the raised beds for something else.

Any guidance for a newby would be greatly appreciated.

DB

Toss some good garden soil on top of the pile and rinse it into the
pile. This will provide some of the soil micro organisms that promote
composting. Also add some high nitrogen fertilizer since composting
leaves requires nitrogen. Make sure the pile remains moist.

DO NOT add to your raised bed. The composting leaves will deplete
nutrients from the soil until they are fully composted.

Like yours, my compost pile is also almost entirely leaves, especially
oak and ash. When I have my back lawn mowed (ornamental red fescue,
mowed only once a year) I add some of the clippings to the pile. It
took about 18 months to start from scratch. It works well now, taking
about 4-5 months to produce a great leaf mold from autumn leaves. When
I sift the pile, I always leave some fine compost to ensure that the new
leaves in the pile are "inoculated" with the necessary organisms.

--
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 diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary