How to Compost Oak Leaves
- 1). Prepare a holding enclosure for your oak leaves before you start raking them up. Use landscaping ties staked up Lincoln-log style, chicken wire wrapped around stakes, or pallets secured against each other---anything that is at least 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet. Remember that oak leaves take a lot of space initially so a larger enclosure is more realistic for holding all the leaves that an oak tree will drop.
- 2). Rake up your leaves, preferably onto a tarp to make moving them easier, and dump them into the enclosure. Ask a friend or family member to help you lift the end of the tarp over the compost pile while you hold the other side.
- 3). Dampen each layer of the pile with a garden hose to start the decomposition of the oak leaves. Add a few shovelfuls of grass clippings or green matter after every foot of leaves to help keep the oak leaves from just compacting and to add nitrogen to the pile.
- 4). Let the leaves sit in the enclosure over the winter, allowing the rain and snow to work on adding moisture as the leaves break down. Turn the pile with a garden fork if you want to speed up the the decomposition time. Leave the pile to decompose for about six months---up to two years if you live in a cooler area where the pile might not heat up sufficiently.
- 5). Pull off the top layer of leaves to check how the leaves have decomposed. Use the top dry layer to start a new pile for summer. Lift out the crumbly composted leaves to add to your garden or landscaping beds.
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