| On composting myths exploded, yes you can
compost gum leaves. Nature’s been doing it for millennia, it just takes a bit longer
than lawn clippings and Plane Tree leaves. Composting large quantities of gum leaves can
be sped up by running them through a shredder or lining them up on your lawn and running
the mower over them. An ideal compost heap needs to
be at least a cubic metre in volume and contain equal parts of kitchen waste or
putrescible material that’s rich in nitrogen with cellulose or carbon material such
as leaves, straw or shredded paper. Soil is not needed, but adding small quantities of old
compost is ideal.
Layer the material and water as you go. Use animal manure
in the layers too if you can access some, since that gets the heap brewing quite rapidly.
Chicken litter, cow pads, sheep manure and horse manure are all readily available, but use
a simple dust mask and rubber gloves when handling them.
Shredded newspaper often gets raised eyebrows and the issue
of lead in the ink is raised by some, but soy based inks in the printing industry have
been in use in Australia for over 20 years, so the concern about lead is a bit out dated.
I wouldn’t use coloured supplements, but even most of those are harmless too.
Place a two metre wooden post at a diagonal in your compost
heap as you are forming it and cover it progressively. When you have finished that can be
removed and the cavity left aids ventilation which makes the pile breathe. A very
necessary function. The heat will start to rise within two hours and needs to be turned
with a fork every day for the first six days. That way the heat can be contained to
55-60°C and evenly distributed, so that all weed seeds and plant pathogens or diseases
are killed, but the good soil fungi are not destroyed.
Locate your compost heap in the sun if you can, cover it
with an old carpet remnant or straw to act as an insulator and tend to it daily. Regard it
as your daily exercise. When the heat has died down let it mature for at least two weeks
and up to three months. Use as mulch around all demanding plants. Best of luck with your
tax return too! |
