Note the attractive compost bins I bought years ago; they now function as hardscape/historic artifacts in my "woodland garden." Now remember those 35 deciduous trees I told you about on my property? I’m thinking it would take at least 15 of these little structures to actually hold all their leaves. Then there’s the work involved in turning them every month or so, an effort certain to make my physical therapist a little richer. Taking care of a garden, especially a large one, is enough work without putting myself through the torture of turning compost contents, so no thanks. Likewise, you won’t see me watering the damn things, either.
So here’
s the answer. Can’t see anything? That’s the point. It’s just a large pile of leaves slowly compressing and composting. Every fall I fold over last year’s leaves into one pile and use the freed-up space for the current year’s batch. The smaller, older pile is then ready to be used as compost the following spring or fall.
Now like me, you’ve probably read 15-20 articles - seriously - listing the proper ingredients of compost. So I earnestly include grass clippings in the pile throughout the summer and whatever herbaceous discards my garden may produce, but considering the sheer volume of dead leaves, it doesn’t amount to much. You can bet I don’t schlep down into the woods to dump my kitchen scraps, which in the case of my "cooking" style amounts to nothing more than the occasional banana peel.
But in the end, the product of this humble pile looks like black gold to me and the plants seem happy to get it, so I’m at peace. And peace be with you, too.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Alice 12.17.05 at 3:49 pm
I find the hardest thing about putting leaves in the compost heaps or open bins is, apart from the space they take up, is trying to get water through them. We tend to put most of our stuff through the mulcher, including the leaves, and they do break up much faster. But your method of just leaving them in a heap seems to work perfectly.
jenn 12.18.05 at 12:08 pm
Isn’t it a blessing to have the room to slow compost?
Looks lovely and natural, too.
Jude 12.18.05 at 5:02 pm
Did you know that compost worms absolutley LOVE banana skins. Are you sure you don’t have sufficient kitchen scraps for a mini worm farm at the back door? Your ‘cooking style’ intrigues me. Tell more!
zoey 12.20.05 at 7:14 pm
Susan,
I do it almost the same as you. My pile is a good distance from my kitchen so I don’t bother with the food scraps - no extra water from me either. I just throw it all in a heap and wait - and wait - and wait — it takes a good year or more before it’s usable. The only turning I do is when I am digging up the bottom stuff to use and the top stuff falls further down.