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When you rake your lawn, you end up with a big pile of unwanted leaves. People used to burn the leaves, but that was bad for the air. Then people used to bag the leaves and put them on curbs to be taken away to landfills, but that was bad for the land. Now people are looking for other ways to dispose of their unwanted foliage. Composting is one of the those ways.
What You'll Need
- Chicken Wire
- Pegs
- Mallet
- Twine
- Time
- Hay fork
Step One
Find a nice shady spot in your yard. Direct sunlight will cause your compost to dry out. If your lawn is shadeless, make sure to water your compost a couple of times a week to keep it moist.
Step Two
Figure out how much space you are going to need for your yard waste. This will be dependent on the size of your yard. Are you going to compost grass clippings or kitchen waste, too? Consider this information before you choose a perimeter size. Mark the perimeter with the pegs. Knock in the pegs with the mallet.
Step Three
Wrap the chicken wire around the pegs. Use the twine to fasten the chicken wire to itself where the ends meet up. Use the twine to fasten the chicken wire to the pegs.
Step Four
Put your leaves in the inside the chicken-wire perimeter. Feel free to fill it to the top. To speed up the decomposition, you can buy microbes at a most home-and-garden stores.
Step Five
You will need to stir your compost mix once a month. It will take at least six months for the leaves to become compost, depending on whether or not you added microbes or kitchen waste to you mix. A leaf-only mix will take about nine months to become compost.
Step Five
When the leaves have decomposed into a soil-like substance, the compost is ready. Untie the twine. Remove the chicken wire. Set it aside. Use the hay fork to apply the compost to your garden.
Step Six
Refasten the chicken wire to the pegs with the twine. Get ready for next year.
More on compost:
Compost: How to Make It, Bins, Piles and More
Composting Basics: Compost Without a Yard
How To Make A Dog Waste Composter
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