Last week, I warned you to shred your leaves before trying to compost them - otherwise, they'll just mat down and sit there, like a toddler not getting dressed for school. Using a leaf blower set on reverse to suck and shred your fabulous fall harvest will cut the space those leaves take up by a factor of 10. You can store 10 bags' worth of whole leaves in a single bag once they're all chopped up. And that's exactly what you should do with all the leaves you don't use for immediate compost-making. Those shredded leaves also make excellent mulch for protecting tender perennials, the garlic you should have planted on Columbus Day, spring bulbs and such.
Open piles are OK, but take forever.
Yes, you should turn the pile, mixing the stuff on the outside to the inside and vice-versa, but nobody does. Compost is ready to spread when it looks like rich, dark soil and you can no longer recognize the original ingredients. If you experience any problems with the Daily News Web site, please let us know. Include the date and time of the problem and a brief description.