Hi all,
Has anyone got any experience with creating very large containment areas for vast amounts of leaves in order to turn them into leaf mulch (eventually)?
We've just gained a large new job with a huge amount of trees- mainly mature oak and Beech forest with fruit trees and silver birch. The garden hasnt been touched for over 2 years and the client wants it tidied up. 3 of us took a day last week to clear half of the drive and surrounding lawns, we created a huge heap of leaves which we've dumped in a hidden corner. There's plenty more to come, they want the lawns, borders and paths all cleared as well as new paths made throughout the forest. I'm looking to create a cost effective means of containing them, covering over and creating a lot of leaf mulch for the beds in a couple of years time.
Thoughts so far have been to use some of the Heras,security style fencing to create compost bays. It's cheap and quick to install, relatively sturdy ( I'll prob have to reinforce the middle of each panel with a wooden post) and durable. The mesh is quite large however so I may have to line with chicken wire?
Would appreciate any further ideas or interested to see if anyone has solved the isssue in a similar way.
Cheers
Toby
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Replies
Post rounds, chicken wire, straining wire, fencing staples, wire clips and the clipping tool. With those materials you can make one as tall and wide as you like.
We've used pallets on edge with posts driven through the middle of them to retain, did'nt bother lining with chicken wire .
A large woodland garden I work in the annual leaf fall is so overwhelming that before my time the owner had the garden designed in such a way to allow for this and created walled pockets so the leaves can be corralled into them with a blower but in his day before blowers collected using rakes and barrows which is still an efficient method .
However the trees have matured significantly since then and there is now a huge overspill and the most efficient and cost effective method so far has been getting hold of free pallets and building pens to contain the leaves , handy also for grass cuttings .
Can you strim them all up into smaller pieces which will help with the area being able to be smaller that you need.
I remember reading about someone who used to use portable goal posts to do the initial catch of them. Not sure what they did after that though.
I look after a 5 acre garden, with lots of trees. There are 3 large leaf mulching areas. The best has a stone wall along the back and four large pallets down each side about 4 pallets width from each other, all held in with 6" posts. There are 4 bays of these. I think using Heras fencing will be v difficult to access, unless you have a way to blow the leaves in. It is surprising how much each pallet bay holds. You think youve ifilled it, then a week later (especially if its rained), its half full again... that seems to happen until the whole seasons leaves are in one bay - after 2 to 3 years you can start to use them.
I can send a pic if you want when I visit there this Wednesday
Great, thanks for all the help folks. I think for now we will make a couple of huge heaps and contain them with pallets ( luckily I need to get rid of some from another site..!). If the client objects we can then build a slightly more camouflaged store out of chicken wire etc.
Cheers
They will rot down quicker if shredded: so if you can collect any by mower that would help. We find a ride-on quite a quick way to clear areas.
Yes, a ride on with collector is the way to go. We have a huge site with a mix of carparks and grass, we were using Echo pb8010 blowers and a billy goat it was taking around 7 hours twice per week. Bought a ride on with collector as our other ride ons are mulch only, best money ever spent now takes 2.5 hours per visit and so less physically demanding, plus the leaf volume is probably around a third of the volume after the leaves have gone through the mower.
Dont forget to build your leaf compost area away from any trees as they will infest the pile and ours were 10' x 6' each. Just when you think its time use this lovely black compost two thirds are so compacted with fine root growth its impossible to break up other than foot square blocks nightmare!
All our large gardens require either unseen use around the garden or collection and removal some 60 plus bulk sacks from each garden starting october to hopefully just after xmas. Unseen use entails putting it through the honda mowers to mulch it up and layering around trees shrubs in a brown green layer of leaf one visit grass the next, you can lose a lot and the beds love it, prevents drought in summer and breaks down iffy soil, fruit trees especially. Most of my clients require the gardens to be immaculate for visiting family parties over the xmas period and are happy to see it being removed by hand, start as you mean to go on and remember oak trees are always the last to drop. I did have issues with being paid for breaking down leaf compost heaps to use around the garden as they didnt see the point so, as the client is always right we reverted back and they were very happy to pay more money bringing compost into the garden in bulk sacks. One final tip if you are using composted leaf as a mulch for beds, weed and turn over the bed first cut straight edges around each bed and then use a 4'' layer to carefully dress the bed, it really makes the plants/bed stand out and the closer to the house the more the client loves it. Hope this is of some help to any of you taking on large properties for the first time, but invest in the right kit, keep it all clean from the van to your appearance, be prompt and once you have there trust you will be overwhelmed with work.
And, before you say bulk sacks sod that!! it may be 14 bedrooms but it all has to go through a standard gate??
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