On Tue, 22 Apr 2003 08:52:37 +0100, "janet.bennett"
wrote:

~I collected a quantity of beech leaves last autumn and placed them in an
~old dustbin (holes in the side - covered with lid) but they don't seem to be
~rotting down. Can someone give me advice on the following :
~
~ How long does it take for them to rot down?
~ Was I suppossed to add an an activator?
~ Do they need to be really 'wet' or 'just moist?
~

At least a year / not necessarily but it helps / keep damp

:-)

I have oodles of sycamore leaves and they take over two years as
they're tough things. After three years of endless sweeping in the
rain and a garage full of bin liners I resorted to a £50 garden vac
with shredder blade to break them down a bit, so I'm hoping that lot
break down faster (they certainly take up less room). I'll let you
know next autumn!!!
Beech may well break down faster, but the rule of thumb is usually a
year.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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