To what degree do leaves compress in the first year?

I envisage a pile of up to 8 cubic metres of Sweet Chestnut, Horse Chestnut,
Beech and Sycamore and others as starters.

Too much for the black bag method these would be 'compounded' so to speak.
Dry leaves have in the past been bonfired :-((

Autumn could bring grass cuttings AND cut fallen leaves added to a
'compound' on the second year, OR a new 'compound', recommended?

How soon could these be used? How many 'compounds'? ............ 3? then
clear and rotate?

--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
To what degree do leaves compress in the first year?

I envisage a pile of up to 8 cubic metres of Sweet Chestnut, Horse
Chestnut, Beech and Sycamore and others as starters.

Too much for the black bag method these would be 'compounded' so to speak.
Dry leaves have in the past been bonfired :-((

Autumn could bring grass cuttings AND cut fallen leaves added to a
'compound' on the second year, OR a new 'compound', recommended?

How soon could these be used? How many 'compounds'? ............ 3? then
clear and rotate?

--
They compress quite well if left on a busy railway track.

mark

On Dec 4, 5:48*pm, "'Mike'" wrote:
To what degree do leaves compress in the first year?

I envisage a pile of up to 8 cubic metres of Sweet Chestnut, Horse Chestnut,
Beech and Sycamore and others as starters.

Too much for the black bag method these would be 'compounded' so to speak..
Dry leaves have in the past been bonfired :-((

Autumn could bring grass cuttings AND cut fallen leaves added to a
'compound' on the second year, OR a new 'compound', recommended?

How soon could these be used? How many 'compounds'? ............ 3? then
clear and rotate?

--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Associationwww.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

If you can, put them into something with sides.
A wire cage will do fine too. Then just place a few planks or whatever
comes in handy on top in order to weight them down;
In July, take the leaves out of that container and rotavat them. Water
as well. Stick them back into a *different container/ compost bin,
weight them down and leave until after all the leaves are collected
next fall.
* different, so your bin for the leaves is empty and so ready for the
next lot.

In article ,
says...
To what degree do leaves compress in the first year?

I envisage a pile of up to 8 cubic metres of Sweet Chestnut, Horse Chestnut,
Beech and Sycamore and others as starters.

Too much for the black bag method these would be 'compounded' so to speak.
Dry leaves have in the past been bonfired :-((

Autumn could bring grass cuttings AND cut fallen leaves added to a
'compound' on the second year, OR a new 'compound', recommended?

How soon could these be used? How many 'compounds'? ............ 3? then
clear and rotate?


I would say each foot of loose leaves will be less than one inch by the
end of the first year, I use mine as a mulch during the second year
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea