Did I make a mistake w/ banana tree cuttings

Last year after the first frost, I hated to place the tall banana trees that I cut into the trash. I cut them up in 6" pieces and layered into my compost pile with leaves, grass clipping and winter clean up from the perennial beds. I stirred once a month during winter, added water occaisonally and covvered with black plastic to keep the temp up.

Now it is 6 months later and when I turned again, they are still big pieces. I am in quandry as to what to do with them? Late this year, what can I do to assist thi breakdown?

Thanks.

Liz

The smaller they are cut up the faster they will compost. Do you do lasagne gardening? I use them just over the newspaper on the bottom of a lasagne bed. If you use mulch around plants you can put the babana leaf down first, then cover with mulch. They are very good weed blockers.

Or you ould go the Hypertufa and Concrete Forum and learn how to make concrete pavers out of them

katiebear

Man, that would be cool. I'm dying to try my hand at hypertufa, the weather is still to iffy but should be able to take a shot at it soon. I got the stuff, woohoo!!

CAn't really do the lasagna gardening. I do a partial method, but all bed prep msu start with removing the bermuda - or else all the compost does is feed the bermuda. Instead of great flowers, you have great bermuda where you DON'T want it. LOL

The leaves are composting, it is mostly the high cellulose stems that are in 6x6" sections that are not composting.

THanks for the tips.