composting leylandi

grannyjo

can I compost the green part of leyllandi trimmimgs. I get the feeling it could be quite acidic but I don't know why I feel that. _ perhaps because firs like ericasous soil. thanks joanna

peter_the_piper

Yep, leylandii are quite acid but I think they might be difficult to compost as they are pretty solid. Others may well correct me as I don't compost much.

alanobrien

Yes, and it is acidic but this doesn't last long in the soil.
I had 15 of them, removed them all, composted the greenery and made a stub fence from the trunks

lostinrates

we used our chipped laylandeii as animal bedding last year, and much to my surprise I have never used anything better. It lasted well (suggesting it might talke a long while to compost down).

grannyjo

thanks for the replies. I'm going to bury it 12 inches down in a raised veg bed. hope it works - thanks joanna

budgetdiyer

I discovered some leylandii trimmings buried whilst i was tidying a patch of garden at the weekend, apart from being blackened they were complete and still retaining strength, they have been underneath the soil for at least two years since i bought the house but likely even longer than that (the leylandii we have showed no signs of a recent trim when we moved in!)

fwor

I'd concur with that. The previous owners of my place put Leylandii trimmings in their compost bin. Six years later when I came to turn it over, they were still completely intact.

I don't put any in the compost bin now, but shred it and use it as weed-resistant mulch - the earthworms don't seem to like it that much so it stays on the surface well.

Cabbagewhite

I'm allergic to Leylandii, the sap brings me up in large, fragile blisters that scar. I discovered this when trimming next door's hedge that overhung our garden. Didn't know what it was the first time - clicked when it happened the second time! Was so pleased when the first thing the new neighbours did was cut it down and put a fence up.

That said, all conifer cuttings are acidic. Excellent for putting around and soft fruit trees you have, especially blueberries and raspberries, as the prefer acidic soil (peat). They will break down quicker if you 'bruise' the greenery to let bacteria in to break it down. It will also burn brilliantly if you leave it for couple of days after cutting and the ash is good in the garden. The greenery has a small amount of oil in it. The wood always burns really well.