Screening 2010 Leaf Compost

Yard leaves are a terrific source of soil amending compost. Each fall I rake and collect yard leaves into a large pack pile. In our yard the leaves consist of black walnut, white ash, a variety of maples, red oak, and shrub leaves. Below are several photos and video clips of the finishing process for the 2010 leaves into a fine compost that will be added to this springs (2012) vegetable garden.  

Unscreened 2010 Leaf Compost

Screening 2010 leaf compost removes sticks, nut hulls, stones...etc. 



Screened, finished leaf compost



Removing materials that did not pass through the screen for further screening and/or recomposting.

Here I shovel the screened, finish compost into holding bin made of lined wood pallets.

The bin of finished 2010 leaf compost
...I would estimate the volume to be 2.5 - 3 cubic yards.



The finished compost pile (L) is covered, protecting it from leaching
and the screened out (R) will be rescreened and/or worked into future

 compost piles for further decomposition.

Above is the 2011 leaf pack pile. (Note the interior temperature in the photo below) Over the next year, I will turn
this pile several times to insure it forms a finished compost by December 2012.

130 F - the interior temperature of the 2011 leaf pack pile (January 24, 201)


A leaf compost sample was sent to the Penn State University Compost testing site earlier this week.
I will post the analysis results when they are recieved.