Each fall I pile our many leaves up on a bank at the end of our property line. I am amazed at how diminished that pile is by the time spring rolls around. One year I put some of the leaves around the grape vines and found out the hard way, that they don't like leaves. Best thing for grapes is straight cow manure.JimFoxvog wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 9:01 amWe don't need all that pollution from leaf burning in the atmosphere. If you have neighbors it may well contribute to their health problems.Neto wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 7:40 am We burn those things, and often use trash cardboard to get a better burn of the more sensitive papers, or to help burn leaves. (I sometimes haul the leaves away as well, but the volume is pretty prohibitive, and WAY too much to mulch back into the yard or garden, although we do that as well with part of the leaves.)
Leaves compost well. My 20 cubic yard pile becomes less than one cubic yard of good compost. As you have a garden you can use compost.
Poll: Saving Paper and...
Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
I really don't like to burn them, and as far as our neighbors are concerned, they do it more than we do, and they don't stir the leaves as they burn, either. They just pile it all up, light it, and then just let it smolder. The only way the leaves we have (mostly maple) will rot within less than 3 or 4 years is to chop them up with the mower first. It also works a lot better if there is a fair amount of grass clippings mixed in, to heat it up. Otherwise the leaves create layers that no water permeates. I've stirred piles from a year or more earlier, and the leave still have all of their Fall colors.JimFoxvog wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 9:01 amWe don't need all that pollution from leaf burning in the atmosphere. If you have neighbors it may well contribute to their health problems.Neto wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 7:40 am We burn those things, and often use trash cardboard to get a better burn of the more sensitive papers, or to help burn leaves. (I sometimes haul the leaves away as well, but the volume is pretty prohibitive, and WAY too much to mulch back into the yard or garden, although we do that as well with part of the leaves.)
Leaves compost well. My 20 cubic yard pile becomes less than one cubic yard of good compost. As you have a garden you can use compost.
When I used to do a lot of composting, I would dig up a fairly shallow area, pile in a layer of mixed grass and shredded leaves (about 4 inches at the most), then a layer of dirt or last year's compost, then repeat, always ending with compost. This allowed the earthworms to get in there and go to work on it as soon as the rotting heat subsided. But it never was possible to compost all of the leaves from our town lot here in Berlin. (No woods nearby to just blow them into, and I HATE the noise from those leaf blowers anyway.) When we bought this place, there were eight maple trees, and around 2 dozen or more fruit trees - apple, peach, cherry, pear, and also a couple of English Walnut trees. (One of the walnut trees died, probably from not enough sun, and they don't bear if you only have one. A huge Black Walnut tree blew down in the straight wind storm here in June of last year. They apparently don't need another near by, because there are nuts all over the back yard again this year, from the other one.) When I was hauling leaves away all of the time, I took many trailer or pickup loads away, packed and stomped down in order to get as much in as possible. Then covered over the top with a couple layers of large garbage bags full, then all tied down for the 4 mile trip to a property my father-in-law had, when I could dump them.
And smoke isn't the only type of pollution that is harmful to some people. I'm not, but all of the rest of my family are very affected by the type of mold from rotting grass clippings. (I had serious allergy problems in the Amazon, and one of the worst causes was from old papers and old books. When I went to our library, I had to very carefully turn each page - no flipping though a book - and then immediately go wash my hands with soap & water when I was finished. The worst thing was if I forgot, and touched my face, especially anywhere near my eyes.) Also, if you have a good burn going, there isn't much smoke produced.
Re: Gardening: We don't garden in the ground anymore - all raised garden boxes, and even when I used to make compost, my wife didn't want it in the boxes. The only thing growing directly in the ground anymore is the grapes, raspberries, and rhubarb. (Strawberries don't like the raised gardens, either. They send their runners out of the box, and do better in the path than in the box. We don't grow potatoes anymore.)
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
I sometimes wonder if some of these people have ever been to an office supply store and witnessed the price of notepads, reams of paper, and window envelopes.
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- steve-in-kville
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
I recently re-upped my subscription to the Lancaster Farming (coolest newspaper in in the whole history or newspapers ). So now I have them piling up, waiting to fry bacon. Life is good.
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Wait.... How do you use newspaper to fry bacon?steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 5:26 am I recently re-upped my subscription to the Lancaster Farming (coolest newspaper in in the whole history or newspapers ). So now I have them piling up, waiting to fry bacon. Life is good.
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Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
Yes, inquiring minds want to know.How do you use newspaper to fry bacon?
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
Yes, please explain.Neto wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 7:59 amWait.... How do you use newspaper to fry bacon?steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 5:26 am I recently re-upped my subscription to the Lancaster Farming (coolest newspaper in in the whole history or newspapers ). So now I have them piling up, waiting to fry bacon. Life is good.
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We put the bacon on the newspaper after frying to drain off the greaseGrace wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 9:08 amYes, please explain.Neto wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 7:59 amWait.... How do you use newspaper to fry bacon?steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 5:26 am I recently re-upped my subscription to the Lancaster Farming (coolest newspaper in in the whole history or newspapers ). So now I have them piling up, waiting to fry bacon. Life is good.
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
Interesting. We put ours on paper towels to drain it and then compost the paper towels.We put the bacon on the newspaper after frying to drain off the grease
Not sure about food going directly on news print/paper.
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Re: Poll: Saving Paper and...
I've also heard cautions about using paper towels with a printed design, especially in color. It may be best to use the unprinted side, or a Plain paper towel.QuietlyListening wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2023 10:30 amInteresting. We put ours on paper towels to drain it and then compost the paper towels.We put the bacon on the newspaper after frying to drain off the grease
Not sure about food going directly on news print/paper.
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I grew up around Indiana, You grew up around Galilee; And if I ever really do grow up, I wanna grow up to be just like You -- Rich Mullins
I am a Christian and my name is Pilgram; I'm on a journey, but I'm not alone -- NewSong, slightly edited
I am a Christian and my name is Pilgram; I'm on a journey, but I'm not alone -- NewSong, slightly edited