pannaking22
Fresh Imago
Where do you guys find your leaves in winter? Things are pretty frozen out my way, so that makes collecting them a bit difficult...
Where to Find Leaves in Winter
- Thread starter pannaking22
- Start date
Bill Myers
Tenebrio
Well, I'm in Missouri and the leaves aren't too difficult to get right now (however, we have some snow coming in tonight and tomorrow) Collecting leaves in the winter is a rarity for me now and days because I've learned to do all my major leaf collecting operations in the fall; put them in a composting spot in my yard; and then cover them with a tarp for easy retrieval.
However, back a few years ago when I was the grasshopper and not the ant, I was in critical need of some leaves right after an ice storm, immediately followed by a fair amount snowfall. I'll spare you the gory details of the shovel method I first tried (successful, but labor intensive in the freezing cold) and just go with the easier method I came up: An instant greenhouse!
For the instant greenhouse, I went to the hardware store and picked up two 20x10 rolls of semi-clear plastic drop-cloth, along with a roll of clear packing tape. Then, in the comfort of my heated home, I taped the two rolls of drop-cloth together to make a 20' square piece of plastic sheeting. Then, I loaded up my car with the plastic sheeting, a bundle of scrap wood to use as stakes and weights, and a hammer. Next, I drove to the woods, pulled everything out of the car, and hiked around a little until I found a nice spot where there were plenty of oak trees and a couple of elms. I draped the plastic sheeting over a medium sized bush sticking out of the snow and then pulled the plastic sheeting all the way out and around---securing it by driving wooden stakes into the corners and using scraps of wood and logs to weight it down along the edge so the wind wouldn't get a hold of it too much.
A few days later (and plenty of sunshine on some cloudless days), I went back to the woods and, lo and behold, all the snow and ice under the instant greenhouse was melted! Then, it was all just a game of collecting the leaves and cleaning up my mess.
Anyway, like I said, that was the year I was the grasshopper...
Cheers
However, back a few years ago when I was the grasshopper and not the ant, I was in critical need of some leaves right after an ice storm, immediately followed by a fair amount snowfall. I'll spare you the gory details of the shovel method I first tried (successful, but labor intensive in the freezing cold) and just go with the easier method I came up: An instant greenhouse!
For the instant greenhouse, I went to the hardware store and picked up two 20x10 rolls of semi-clear plastic drop-cloth, along with a roll of clear packing tape. Then, in the comfort of my heated home, I taped the two rolls of drop-cloth together to make a 20' square piece of plastic sheeting. Then, I loaded up my car with the plastic sheeting, a bundle of scrap wood to use as stakes and weights, and a hammer. Next, I drove to the woods, pulled everything out of the car, and hiked around a little until I found a nice spot where there were plenty of oak trees and a couple of elms. I draped the plastic sheeting over a medium sized bush sticking out of the snow and then pulled the plastic sheeting all the way out and around---securing it by driving wooden stakes into the corners and using scraps of wood and logs to weight it down along the edge so the wind wouldn't get a hold of it too much.
A few days later (and plenty of sunshine on some cloudless days), I went back to the woods and, lo and behold, all the snow and ice under the instant greenhouse was melted! Then, it was all just a game of collecting the leaves and cleaning up my mess.
Anyway, like I said, that was the year I was the grasshopper...
Cheers
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wizentrop
Fresh Imago
This is a very nice idea, Bill!
(well, in a case of emergency. I too try to collect all the leaves I need in the fall)
If I ever find myself stuck in need for leaves in the winter I will sure give this a go.
You mentioned that you let the leaves you collected to decompose in a covered spot in your yard. Isn't it too cold for them to decompose? (especially if you get snow in your area)
I found that in cold temperatures the decomposition process slows down and even stops. Because of this I keep the compost container indoors.
(well, in a case of emergency. I too try to collect all the leaves I need in the fall)
If I ever find myself stuck in need for leaves in the winter I will sure give this a go.
You mentioned that you let the leaves you collected to decompose in a covered spot in your yard. Isn't it too cold for them to decompose? (especially if you get snow in your area)
I found that in cold temperatures the decomposition process slows down and even stops. Because of this I keep the compost container indoors.
Bill Myers
Tenebrio
Yes, the decomposition does slow down in the winter. However, there is usually enough heat generated by the bacteria to keep the process moving along, albeit, not as fast as in the spring and summer. I've never noticed it actually stopping...I guess it might. But, after all, it is a slow process and you never quite know what's going on with it from day to day. It's kind of like watching paint dry...
That being said, I mainly use the leaves I have collected and composted from previous years for feeding my larvae. I make a space in the middle of my leaf compost pile and put the newly collected leaves in that spot, then I cover them up with the older, more composted leaves. In the spring, I start mixing everything up every few days to help speed up the composting process. Rereading my earlier comment, I see that I wasn't clear about that. Sorry I omitted that piece of information in my earlier comment.
Cheers
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pannaking22
Fresh Imago
I like the grasshopper and the ant reference. Its been a while since I came across that one lol.
The greenhouse idea is a great one. I'll have to try that after the major cold passes. I grabbed a couple small bags of leaves in the fall, but I haven't really done anything with them. What do you do to speed up leaf decomposition?