Are these leaves good for your compost pile? I seem to recall hearing that you weren't supposed to use Maple, but can't find any info here about them.
Input please?
TIA, Carole
Maple leaves and/or Elm leaves in compost
Did a google on "maple leaf compost" and found this one. There were many other returns too.
http://landscaping.about.com/cs/compostandmulch/a/leaf_mulch.htm
Thanks a bunch! Found an article that was mostly about growing pumpkins too, but said that Maple leaves are actually IDEAL! Yippeee!!!
Oops! Meant to put the link in:
http://www.backyardgardener.com/wcgp/OPP/brooks/compart2.html
I dug out a three year old maple leaf pile this summer and it was wonderful compost inside. We did nothing with the leaves but ignore them in a pile. I bet if you shredded them and mixed with some greens you would have great compost much faster than we did.
Can I put my recommendation in for worms... Worms will make anything organic into better compost faster than any other method. Worms are why the great forests of the world grow without that addition of fertilizer...
However, as there are predators of composting worms, putting them in a bin with your compost is a shrewd move...
Mike
Good plan, Mike! I'd read somewhere recently (DG of course!) to add alfalfa to your compost pile to attract the worms, which I did. In fact, I sprinkled the alfalfa meal all over my garden my here and there in my whole yard.
When I first started gardening, I asked my MIL where to get worms. Her response to me was "what you're doing is all you need." Kinda like "build it and they will come." Seemed to work at the old place... here's hoping!