Composting Leaves Can Be a Fun Task for Children

Leaves have constantly played an enjoyable part in the lives of children. All of us remember raking up leaves and jumping in the leave piles. Beyond that, many of us do not remember what occurred to the leaves after we’ve had our enjoyment in them. Very few of us remember composting leaves or seeing our moms and dad’s composting leaves. Because the value of these leaves was not as familiar as it is today, leaves were often tossed out or left on the yard. Things are much different today with the world all on an objective to conserve the environment. Today composting leaves is a part of many individuals’s lives, not just for ecology but also as an outstanding mulch and fertilizer for their garden.

Although a lot of us are unaware of this, tree leaves have more than double the quantity of minerals as manure. In fact, approximately $50 worth of humus and plant food can be discovered in the leaves of a large shade tree. Because of the deep roots, the trees get their minerals from deep in the ground and a large part of these minerals goes into the leaves. If you have a lawn sweeper, collecting these leaves will be a breeze, otherwise; provide your kids a treat and have them rake them in a pile. In either case, you’ll want to begin composting leaves for some of the very best soil your garden has ever seen. Composting leaves is so simple you’ll question why you’ve never done it in the past.

As easy as composting leaves is for some, others complain that they have a hard time. Their greatest complaint is generally that the leaves do not break down into compost as they expected. Two things that might help to make your composting leaves task more effective are to include nitrogen to your leaf mixture and shred or grind your leaves. The very best nitrogen supplement is manure. Mixing a ratio of one part manure to five parts leaves will assist your leaves to break down much quicker. If you live in a location where manure is unavailable, bone meal, dried blood or cottonseed works well. If you use the industrial substitutes mentioned, a wheelbarrow of leaves with two cups of mixture works well for successfully composting leaves.

Dealing with shredded leaves is much easier than whole leaves. You can make your compost pile any size you desire however rectangular-shaped piles appear to work best. Put down a layer of leaves approximately 6 inches deep, followed by a 2-inch layer of natural material. The organic material may be grass clippings, manure, garbage, or old vines from your garden. Ground corn cobs, straw or sawdust also work well with the above ingredients. Mix the leaves from time to time so they stay moist, however, you don’t desire them soggy. Turn or blend the pile around once a week and you’ll have an exceptional collection of leave compost.