Expert: Frank and Vicky Giannangelo - 11/16/2007

Question
I live in Hendersonville, NC and have a LOT of leaves to remove from my lawn each fall.  I'd like to use them as mulch and compost, so what's the best method of shredding them?  Is a mulching mower a good option?  I have an older mower that I'll be replacing soon, so if I can get a mower that will also effectively mulch a large amount of leaves, that would probably be the most cost-effective route?  There will be some small twigs in the leaves I rake up from the lawn so I'm guessing that leaf vacuums won't work; ditto for low-powered hopper type leaf shredders?

Answer
My father used to just put them all in a 4 x 4 x 4 foot 1 inch chicken wire round containers that were in the shade under some trees and just let them sit for a couple of years.

It worked ok, but we prefer to use a 4 inch layer of leaves or dry material, then a layer of garden greens, and then a layer of 2 inches of garden soil which innoculates the piles with microbes, making the process sustainable over time. And, it is very easy process that we have used for decades.

You could use layers of leaves (dry), lawn clippings (green), and soil (microbes), and just let them set for a year and then sift them. The twigs would provide some air spaces for bottom drainage if you started with them as the bottom layer of each pile. Or, just leave them mixed in with the leaves for air spaces, sifting them out next year when the pile has broken down.

Keep the piles moist, but not wet, set them up in a shady place if possible, and poke holes down through them for air and water. Sift the piles when you want compost by using 1/2 inch hardware cloth over a wheelbarrow, rubbing it through the wire, and what is left on the wire is the bottom layer of a new pile, and the compost is in the wheelbarrow ready to take to the garden.

For more information on composting and mulch please visit our website:  http://www.avant-gardening.com