Compost from leaves -

An apropos discussion in these early days of December. Leave Compost is the result of a natural process of decay and recycling of materials such as leaves and twigs. With all of the grass clippings, twigs and leaves from the yard, fall is a good time to make a compost pile. Approximately 33% of your compost pile can be of wood fiber but will take much longer to decompose.

By the time the next season rolls around, a lot of those leaves have begun decomposing and in the process, they’re feeding the trees and the cycle continues without any help from man. If you are living in the five county area of Philadelphia, PA and don’t feel like collecting your leaves or starting a compost pile the people at www.I-cut-large-lawns.com, or www.nestorlandscaping.com will do the work for you

Start filling it up with leaves and grass clippings and that's it you're done. " Compost is defined in the dictionary as "a mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. The leaves fall from the trees and decompose.

In the forest, when leaves fall from the trees, they all gather on the forest floor. In our Doylestown, PA for example, all the leaves that are gathered in the fall from the local streets, are mulched up and composted. Moving leaves to the pile, then chopping them up with a lawn mower or leaf shredder before they go on the pile aids composting considerably, as small particles decompose faster than large ones.

In the case you have oak leaves, the folks at www.do-it-now-landscaping.com suggest to add ground limestone also. You scatter the limestone if you are concerned about the ph level (acidity level) they may generate in your pile. Go ahead and place a 6-inch layer of leaves or grass clippings too.

You can also put some nitrogen into the leaves as you place them in the leave pile. If your concern is to use less artificial fertilizer you may go the organic or natural lawn care route and topdress your lawn.

For more information, please visit the natural lawn care education website www.topdressing.biz. In case you have a large lawn area to take care of the folks at www.earthandturf.com have some equipment to help you with the topdressing task.

Also www.abcgroffrental.com has John Deer Gators for rent which a www.earthandturf.com topdresser attached instead of a cargo area.

12/3/2006 13:58