Here’s what you need to know for fast composting. Leave the pile to rot over a number of seasons. These leaves just do not break down very quickly at all, unless you macerate them (chop them to the point of a mush!). a good way to do lots of leaves quickly; Disadvantages laminating leaves. Some items will need to be broken down manually first in order to speed up their decomposition. It is better to just heap these types of leaves up, and cover the pile with soil. You must be careful to not add too much as spontaneous combustion will occur. The main items a compost pile needs are the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio, small surface area, aeration, moisture, and temperature. As the season moves on, only leaves … Use the mower to break up the leaves. it disolves very quickly and works very fast. This makes nutrients available to plants to sustain their own growth. You can usually get them free from grocery stores or home improvement stores. First you’ll need to obtain four pallets. If you have an abundant source of leaves in the fall, shred them.Your garden will benefit in a big way. They will quickly decompose over the winter and you can plant your grass seed in the spring. ... the reds would darken and the wax residue would break down a bit, but the longer you leave them alone, the longer they looked good. Shred itIt's no surprise that smaller materials break down faster. Here how to use them: Insulate Tender Plants: A 6-inch blanket of leaves protects tender plants from winter wind and cold.Cover cold-hardy vegetables—such as carrots, kale, leeks and beets—and you'll be able to harvest them all winter. There are several general rules that aid in fast composting. Smaller pieces break down faster in a compost situation. Fungi can “send out” filamentous threads, called hyphae, that operate much like plant roots. Placing a black plastic bag over pieces of the mulch will also help to break down, as it will reserve water and attract extra warmth, which will speed up the break-down process. It will certainly get the job done, but there’s a plan that’s easy and a whole lot cheaper that you can do yourself. Getting compost to break down quickly starts with size and ends with management. These hyphae release acids and enzymes necessary to break down dead plant material. ... Maples can take a lot longer to break down than others is why I am asking. If you want your mulch to break down quickly, opt for fine mulches over those made of course materials and water it often. Nitrogen can be thought of as green, moist items such as grass clippings. Some avid gardeners even recommend putting kitchen scraps through the blender, which gives you the added benefit of moisture when adding the scraps to your compost pile. You also need a balance of carbon, which is the leaf litter, and nitrogen. The waxy leaves, from evergreen shrubs and cypressus-type trees, are a different story. Fast composting of leaves starts with a layer 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20.5 cm.) If you want to know how to make compost faster, the key is to manage these five factors carefully. You can help your compost along by shredding fallen leaves with your lawnmower or leaf shredder and chopping up your kitchen scraps. ... One of the best accelerants for compost is urea. Of course you could go out and buy yourself a compost tumbler for $100-$200 or more. Early-season raking of clipped grass and leaves help solve this problem by supplying an already mixed source of leaves and grass. If you are looking for rye grass seed I … do leaves and sawdust just take years to break down and I'm SOL on speeding it up? Leaves break down slowly. I gave a lot away as gifts, for I was a leaf hoarder, LOL. A pile of unshredded leaves without added nitrogen sources may sit for years before it will be completely decompose. Using Shredded Leaves. You may have seen this whitish “mold” under leaves and thought poorly of it. Of course, you can’t throw just anything and everything into your compost bin and expect it to quickly deteriorate. Scott you could save a few bucks and just till the leaves in the ground in the fall along with and other materials such as grass clippings. Especially with a white-walled background, or blue, grey, and green walls.