GARDENING TIP FROM BRUCE BURDICK

Turn Leaves to Fertilizer:

Gather all the leaves you can from your yard, your neighbors yard, or from the city or a lawn maintainence company. Some Organic Gardeners, you know who you are, grab their neighbors bagged leaves in the dark of night.

Place them in as many compost bins as you have. I like garden wire fencing about 5' high and 20 feet long forming a circular bin approx. 6-8 ft across. The ends can be roped or wired together and easily removed when the pile is done in a year or so, and moved to start a new pile nearby. NOTE: You can shred the leaves on the ground with a lawnmower to speed the decomposition of the leaves, or you can just let nature do it's thing.

Now moisten the leaves--do not soak them.

Encourage the speed of the decomposition process by adding a nitrogen source (Blood Meal; Cottonseed Meal; Soybean Meal; Fresh Green Grass Clippings; Coffee Grounds; etc.). Add a 3:1 ratio of "brown" leaves (carbon).... to a "green" nitogen source--in layers and wait a year or two. Then, enjoy your yield of well balanced, stable, and biologically active soil amendment that is well worth the effort and cheap to make.

Happy Gardening;
Bruce Burdick
4-2008