Arvo All….hope you’re all keeping well. Time again for me to stop lurking and ask a question :)

What’s the quickest way to break down eucalyptus leaves? I’ve started a new garden bed and have thrown in some leaves, but still have other layers to go…ie newspapers/lucerne/straw/b&b. etc.

Do you think I’ll get away with putting my newspaper straight on top of them as my base to my no dig Esther Deans style garden bed?

Will check back later….thanks for any advice

Muschee said:

Arvo All….hope you’re all keeping well. Time again for me to stop lurking and ask a question :)

What’s the quickest way to break down eucalyptus leaves? I’ve started a new garden bed and have thrown in some leaves, but still have other layers to go…ie newspapers/lucerne/straw/b&b. etc.

Do you think I’ll get away with putting my newspaper straight on top of them as my base to my no dig Esther Deans style garden bed?

Will check back later….thanks for any advice

same as other compost beds.

I think I’ve heard it suggested somewhere that running them through a mulcher/chipper makes a pretty big difference.

I’d be adding some manure or B&B on the leaves before adding anything else.

Sometimes I just throw them straight on the garden—other times I run over them with the mower and catcher

Grasshopper said:

Sometimes I just throw them straight on the garden—other times I run over them with the mower and catcher

yes I do a lot of my shredding with a lawnmower. Wears out lawnmowers but a real time saver.

Mostly I just throw them on the garden—as I get so many here 4 barrow loads at a time

i’m the odd one out again but imho – don’t put gum leaves on vegetables or in your compost.
i think they are poisonous to soil life, plant growth and possibly humans
put them back on the natives as a mulch.

pepe said:

i’m the odd one out again but imho – don’t put gum leaves on vegetables or in your compost.
i think they are poisonous to soil life, plant growth and possibly humans
put them back on the natives as a mulch.

I wasn’t referring to using them as vege garden mulch as a general practice. I was referring to how to compst gum leaves.

There are more natives in my garden than veges. But.. and there is a but.

I do compost my gum leaves and wood .. sawdust.. charcoal along with other ingredients to use as potting mix for mainly native but often vege seedlings or cuttings.

This eventually inexorably.. some of it ends up in the garden somewhere. I live in Australia where it is rather impossible to get away from Eucalyptus debris .. Concentrated Eucalyptus .. hmm maybe bad for veges but.. Taking things into the wholeness isn’t such a bad thing or there would be no one left alive in Australia.

I have mostly natives—no vegs at all

Taking things into the wholeness isn’t such a bad thing or there would be no one left alive in Australia.
———————————
chuckle – ok you win – some gum leaves do get into my compost too – and no harm done.
but as a general rule i would compost gum leaves separately to all the other stuff.

pepe said:

i’m the odd one out again but imho – don’t put gum leaves on vegetables or in your compost.
i think they are poisonous to soil life, plant growth and possibly humans
put them back on the natives as a mulch.

don’t agree, although they will probably acidify the soil which may not be what you want on the vege bed. But AFAIK gum leaves are not poisonous. After all we extract eucalyptus oil and put it in cough lozenges etc. (but again I would not drink a bottle of pure eucalyptus oil), and bushies are said to add a leaf to their billy tea. Also I believe that many poisons in plants will break down within days of them being cut and so will be quite safe after composting.

But certainly put them under natives, they will love you for it :)

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

i’m the odd one out again but imho – don’t put gum leaves on vegetables or in your compost.
i think they are poisonous to soil life, plant growth and possibly humans
put them back on the natives as a mulch.

don’t agree, although they will probably acidify the soil which may not be what you want on the vege bed. But AFAIK gum leaves are not poisonous. After all we extract eucalyptus oil and put it in cough lozenges etc. (but again I would not drink a bottle of pure eucalyptus oil), and bushies are said to add a leaf to their billy tea. Also I believe that many poisons in plants will break down within days of them being cut and so will be quite safe after composting.

But certainly put them under natives, they will love you for it :)

Eucalyptus oil is quite poisonous in larger doses than they put in cough drops.

However as for in the garden.. My soil is rather alkaline by nature so any acidity is welcome however this is not true for all soils.