What to do

* Take a black bin liner and punch a few holes in the side and bottom.
* Rake up leaves weekly and stash in the bag.
* When almost full, sprinkle with water, shake and tie.
* Store in a shady spot and the following autumn the leaves will have rotted down into a rich, crumbly mixture that can be used as a mulch around the base of plants
* Let the leaves rot down for another year if you want to use as soil conditioner.

Most leaves can be turned into leaf mould, but some take longer to compost than others. Oak, alder and hornbeam will soon rot down, while sycamore, beech, horse chestnut and sweet chestnut take a little longer. Leaves from conifers and evergreen plants will take between two and three years to compost and are best added in small quantities only, shredding them first to help speed up composting.
Easy

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Lorraine

Hi oldhamer_lb, its me again, I've just started a new venture to try to make compost, my Granddaughter bought me one of those compost bins for my Birthday, and I have put a lot of leaves in there with a sprinkling of water, and egg shells, raw household veg, and its just sitting there do I have to stir the whole thing around or leave it alone, the leaves were up to the top of the lid
but they have shrunk down, and look like pathetic leaves with a few bits of scruffy veg poking out, is this the way it should look, any advise greatly accepted and thanks in advance. Elshevia.

Elshevia...
Good one im going to do more composting when i get a larger garden !
Like any recipe, your compost relies on the right ingredients to make it work. Good things you can compost include vegetable peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings and grass cuttings. These are considered “Greens.” Greens are quick to rot and they provide important nitrogen and moisture. Other things you can compost include cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves. These are considered “Browns” and are slower to rot. They provide fibre and carbon and also allow important air pockets to form in the mixture. Crushed eggshells can be included to add useful minerals.

The key to good compost lies in getting the mix right. You need to keep your Greens and Browns properly balanced. If your compost is too wet, add more Browns. If it’s too dry, add some Greens. Making sure there is enough air in the mixture is also important. Adding scrunched up bits of cardboard is a simple way to create air pockets that will help keep your compost healthy. Air can also be added by mixing the contents. After approximately 6-9 months your finished compost will be ready.

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Lorraine