Amendments to get oak leaves cooking

Hi all,
I recently did my annual yard raking (now that the live oaks are through dropping leaves). Instead of bagging everything, I decided to rake everything into big mounds around the two trees in the front yard, with the thought of creating larger beds there once I had some workable soil.

Is there something I can add to speed the decomposition process for these oak leaves and grass clippings?

Regards,
David

Manure, shredded black and white newspaper, kitchen scraps except for meat, dairy or grease. Treat it just like you would a regular compost bin. Turn periodically and you are well on the way to great black gold! :)

Thanks. I thought about kitchen scraps but wondered if there would be a problem with animals. I suppose I'll add them and just cover them up the best I can. Never thought about the newspaper....will do!

Thanks again,
David

google composting for more info. If you bury the veggie scraps in the middle of the pile, you should have few "critter" problems.

I would just consider keeping the compost materials a few inches away from the tree trunks. Tree experts generally seem to caution against this to avoid encouraging insects and disease from invading the tree. Other than that, you should end up with a great new bed. If there is lawn under the area, a layer of cardboard or newspaper will help keep that from growing through. Keeping it moist will also speed decomposition.

Karen

Nothing grows really good within ten feet of a tree's drip line anyway. The tree will send its feeder roots directly to your bed or garden if you get very close to that dripline. The same feeder roots will suck the moisture up in no time and be the dickens to keep out of your patches.