Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

hallo,

lovely large willow sheds its leaves by the bagful every year.

QUESTIONS
1. will its leaves produce acidy soil when composted e.g. good for heathers?
2. can i mix the leaves in with the compost-heap - wont they make it too acid for my beans and peas next year?
3. using some of the leaves to cover ajuga,etc for winter but will the leaves not suffocate the low-lying ajuga?

thanks

karaman

Well whatever else, your compost heap will not get a headache. :-)

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

In article ,
says...
2. can i mix the leaves in with the compost-heap - wont they make it too
acid for my beans and peas next year?




I generally don't put leaves on the compost heap. They
take a long time to break down, 2-3 years for a good
leaf mould. Put them in a separate heap of bag.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

"Roger Tonkin" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
2. can i mix the leaves in with the compost-heap - wont they make it too
acid for my beans and peas next year?




I generally don't put leaves on the compost heap. They
take a long time to break down, 2-3 years for a good
leaf mould. Put them in a separate heap of bag.

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales


Roger it helps if the leaves are put through the shredder and mixed with
other stuff. Fine on a set of small gardens we have, but not in my
daughter's case where they not only have lots of their own mature trees, but
also have a copse behind them with massive trees which shed tonnes of
leaves. These HAVE to end up on the bonfire.

Mike

--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On 08/12/2012 03:34, karaman wrote:
hallo,

lovely large willow sheds its leaves by the bagful every year.

QUESTIONS
1. will its leaves produce acidy soil when composted e.g. good for
heathers?
2. can i mix the leaves in with the compost-heap - wont they make it too
acid for my beans and peas next year?
3. using some of the leaves to cover ajuga,etc for winter but will the
leaves not suffocate the low-lying ajuga?

thanks

karaman


Are any leaves alkaline?

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On 08/12/2012 03:34, karaman wrote:
hallo,

lovely large willow sheds its leaves by the bagful every year.

QUESTIONS
1. will its leaves produce acidy soil when composted e.g. good for
heathers?
2. can i mix the leaves in with the compost-heap - wont they make it too
acid for my beans and peas next year?
3. using some of the leaves to cover ajuga,etc for winter but will the
leaves not suffocate the low-lying ajuga?

thanks

karaman

Why do you want to cover Ajuga?
It's as tough as old boots.

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Dec 2012 20:57:19 +0000, David Hill
wrote:



Are any leaves alkaline?


Good question. I did read many years ago that leafmould from, e.g.
beech trees growing on chalk was not suitable for mulching rhodies
because of its alkalinity due to it containing a lot of calcium, but
whether true or not, I've no idea. I'm sceptical.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 22:16:57 -0000, Mike wrote:

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Burns OK here both on an open fire and now in the stove. Bit slower than
birch at burn rate quicker than oak (but I'm not sure that the logs that
look like oak inside are oak as the bark isn't quite right). No spitting,
the only stuff we've burnt that has spat has been softwood, ex-pallet
wood seems to be the worst.

If you need to split beech do it green, it turns into concrete once
seasoned...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 22:16:57 -0000, Mike wrote:

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Burns OK here both on an open fire and now in the stove. Bit slower than
birch at burn rate quicker than oak (but I'm not sure that the logs that
look like oak inside are oak as the bark isn't quite right). No spitting,
the only stuff we've burnt that has spat has been softwood, ex-pallet
wood seems to be the worst.

If you need to split beech do it green, it turns into concrete once
seasoned...

--
Cheers
Dave.




Thanks for that tip about splitting Dave. There will be a lot to do and it
seems a good idea to do it all once felled. The main trunk is "about" 2' 6"
in diameter.

Mike

--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On 08/12/2012 23:36, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 22:16:57 -0000, Mike wrote:

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Burns OK here both on an open fire and now in the stove. Bit slower than
birch at burn rate quicker than oak (but I'm not sure that the logs that
look like oak inside are oak as the bark isn't quite right). No spitting,
the only stuff we've burnt that has spat has been softwood, ex-pallet
wood seems to be the worst.

If you need to split beech do it green, it turns into concrete once
seasoned...


AIUI beech soot is much prized as an artists' pigment (Bistre). Too good
for the garden :)

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

"stuart noble" wrote in message
...
On 08/12/2012 23:36, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 22:16:57 -0000, Mike wrote:

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Burns OK here both on an open fire and now in the stove. Bit slower than
birch at burn rate quicker than oak (but I'm not sure that the logs that
look like oak inside are oak as the bark isn't quite right). No spitting,
the only stuff we've burnt that has spat has been softwood, ex-pallet
wood seems to be the worst.

If you need to split beech do it green, it turns into concrete once
seasoned...


AIUI beech soot is much prized as an artists' pigment (Bistre). Too good
for the garden :)

So what would you suggest, sweep the chimney before the Beech starts to be
burnt, make sure Beech is only burnt over a long period, then sweep the
chimney after and save?

What about the wood ash from the cleared grate?

and how do you market it?

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On 09/12/2012 09:33, 'Mike' wrote:


"stuart noble" wrote in message
...
On 08/12/2012 23:36, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 22:16:57 -0000, Mike wrote:

Is beech any good for fires? Slow burning? Spitting? Rapid burning?

Burns OK here both on an open fire and now in the stove. Bit slower than
birch at burn rate quicker than oak (but I'm not sure that the logs that
look like oak inside are oak as the bark isn't quite right). No
spitting,
the only stuff we've burnt that has spat has been softwood, ex-pallet
wood seems to be the worst.

If you need to split beech do it green, it turns into concrete once
seasoned...


AIUI beech soot is much prized as an artists' pigment (Bistre). Too
good for the garden :)

So what would you suggest, sweep the chimney before the Beech starts to
be burnt, make sure Beech is only burnt over a long period, then sweep
the chimney after and save?

What about the wood ash from the cleared grate?

and how do you market it?

Mike



Soot is collected in chambers, the top one being the finest/purest.
Beech produces a brown/black, whereas the cheaper stuff (vegetable
black) is blueish

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On Sun, 9 Dec 2012 08:02:33 -0000, Mike wrote:

Thanks for that tip about splitting Dave. There will be a lot to do and
it seems a good idea to do it all once felled. The main trunk is
"about" 2' 6" in diameter.

Believe me the difference between spliting beech green or even partly
seasoned is quite a lot. A swung spliting axe will just drop through a
green 9" log under it's own weight but will need need some effort added
for (part) seasoned.

Tree that size should keep you in logs for a winter or maybe two. But not
this winter and possibly not next either unless we have a good summer and
you have the space to have it stacked up with good free air circulation.

Lucky you but it'll be hard work processing to burnable sized logs. With
that much to do I think I'd invest in a powered spliter of some sort.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sun, 9 Dec 2012 08:02:33 -0000, Mike wrote:

Thanks for that tip about splitting Dave. There will be a lot to do and
it seems a good idea to do it all once felled. The main trunk is
"about" 2' 6" in diameter.

Believe me the difference between spliting beech green or even partly
seasoned is quite a lot. A swung spliting axe will just drop through a
green 9" log under it's own weight but will need need some effort added
for (part) seasoned.

Tree that size should keep you in logs for a winter or maybe two. But not
this winter and possibly not next either unless we have a good summer and
you have the space to have it stacked up with good free air circulation.

Lucky you but it'll be hard work processing to burnable sized logs. With
that much to do I think I'd invest in a powered spliter of some sort.

--
Cheers
Dave.



http://www.myalbum.com/Album-7PWPMFN...f-Scenery.html

--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

Are willow leaves acid and are they good for compost
 

On Sun, 9 Dec 2012 11:52:36 -0000, Mike wrote:

http://www.myalbum.com/Album-7PWPMFN...f-Scenery.html

Looks like a nice tree why has it got to come down?
Is that window part of the main house, it is a bit close...
Or has the bifurcation lead to heart rot in the lower section?

--
Cheers
Dave.