Our local council is becoming very efficient at collecting leaves from
roads and paths,thus making it difficult for me to wait until there is
sufficient quantity to bag up,and take down my allotment.The council
used to deliver leaves to our allotment site,but they were always full
of cans crisp bags,and even a couple of syringes(!).So I find it
better to collect my own leaves,and thus avoid,if possible,the
rubbish.I did not used to collect leaves from roadsides,since I
thought of the oil and leaded petrol deposits that would contaminate
the leaf mould.However,now that the majority of cars run on unleaded
petrol,and are moden enough not to drop oil,I am happier about it.Also
I am reluctant to use animal (horse or cow)manure for mixing with
compost at the moment because of the herbicide problem produced by the
Dow Chemical Company.
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?
Michael

"michael" wrote in message
...
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the
leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog
owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf
mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?

I throw all our dogs faeces onto the compost heap which is mostly
leaves. I always thought of it as a good activator.
This reminds me I must raise the height of the compost bin frame
as I filled it to the present top last weekend and a lot more
leaves have fallen this week.

Mike

Muddymike wrote:

I throw all our dogs faeces onto the compost heap which is mostly
leaves. I always thought of it as a good activator.

I was under the impression never to use dog faeces in the compost. The
logic I was given was that only the faeces of vegetarian animals such as
horses and cattle should be used due to the risk of parasites such as
tape-worm etc being present in the poo of meat-eaters. In principle eggs
from such nasties could end up in the vegetable garden and could in
theory at least end up on none-cooked veg such as lettuce, which unless
scrupulously washed could then infect humans. Lots of "ifs" there, I
don't know how real the risk is though or if it is just over-cautious
old wives tales?

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"michael" wrote in message
...
Our local council is becoming very efficient at collecting leaves from
roads and paths,thus making it difficult for me to wait until there is
sufficient quantity to bag up,and take down my allotment.The council
used to deliver leaves to our allotment site,but they were always full
of cans crisp bags,and even a couple of syringes(!).So I find it
better to collect my own leaves,and thus avoid,if possible,the
rubbish.I did not used to collect leaves from roadsides,since I
thought of the oil and leaded petrol deposits that would contaminate
the leaf mould.However,now that the majority of cars run on unleaded
petrol,and are moden enough not to drop oil,I am happier about it.Also
I am reluctant to use animal (horse or cow)manure for mixing with
compost at the moment because of the herbicide problem produced by the
Dow Chemical Company.
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?
Michael


To be honest, I would be far more worried about getting hepatitis from
syringes, than worms or even toxicara from dogs or foxes. If the council
unwittingly collected syringes, then so could you, not to mention condoms
and their related diseases.

You'll never entirely free your allotment from animal waste, as I'm sure
foxes, dogs and cats (stoats and others, near the countryside) find their
way in and do 'what comes naturally'. If you're prepared to take the risk
of composting it, and you use those large plastic 'hands' (or a homemade
version) to collect up the leaves (and undesirables), then go ahead and
collect to your hearts content. Do, though, be very very careful.

Spider

Muddymike wrote:
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the
leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog
owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf
mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?
I throw all our dogs faeces onto the compost heap which is mostly
leaves. I always thought of it as a good activator.
This reminds me I must raise the height of the compost bin frame
as I filled it to the present top last weekend and a lot more
leaves have fallen this week.

I can't remember why, but I thought I'd read that you should only put
the poo of herbivores onto the compost (so no cat/dog poo, but in
theory, chicken poo is ok (although my chickens don't look very
herbivorish to me when they're munching through a pile of slugs and
caterpilars!))

wrote:
I can't remember why, but I thought I'd read that you should only put
the poo of herbivores onto the compost (so no cat/dog poo, but in
theory, chicken poo is ok (although my chickens don't look very
herbivorish to me when they're munching through a pile of slugs and
caterpilars!))


I think the logic is due to tapeworms. Their life-cycle is that of cysts
in herbivores in their muscles (meat) and as adult worms in meat eaters.
So the poo of herbivores is free of eggs but the poo of meat eaters can
contain the eggs which then become tapeworms if ingested by humans.

I remember reading once that humans normally end up with the adult tape
worms but can occasionally end up with the cysts instead which can occur
in muscle tissue or even brain tissue - giving the symptoms of mental
illness - quite nasty.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"michael" wrote ...
Our local council is becoming very efficient at collecting leaves from
roads and paths,thus making it difficult for me to wait until there is
sufficient quantity to bag up,and take down my allotment.The council
used to deliver leaves to our allotment site,but they were always full
of cans crisp bags,and even a couple of syringes(!).So I find it
better to collect my own leaves,and thus avoid,if possible,the
rubbish.I did not used to collect leaves from roadsides,since I
thought of the oil and leaded petrol deposits that would contaminate
the leaf mould.However,now that the majority of cars run on unleaded
petrol,and are moden enough not to drop oil,I am happier about it.Also
I am reluctant to use animal (horse or cow)manure for mixing with
compost at the moment because of the herbicide problem produced by the
Dow Chemical Company.
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?

Having looked into road pollution for our allotment site (which is between
the M3 and M25 at the Thorpe interchange) you should be more concerned about
tyre dust than exhaust pollution. Tyres contain some nasty pollutants. That
said pollution diminishes quickly after only a few yards from a main road.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

"michael" wrote in message
...
Our local council is becoming very efficient at collecting leaves from
roads and paths,thus making it difficult for me to wait until there is
sufficient quantity to bag up,and take down my allotment.

*******s, the council here come along with a suction truck and sweep the
roadsides clean off all debris. I did manage to get quite a fews bags of
leave this year however the council beat me to quite a bit more.

rob

"michael" wrote in message
...
Our local council is becoming very efficient at collecting leaves from
roads and paths,thus making it difficult for me to wait until there is
sufficient quantity to bag up,and take down my allotment.The council
used to deliver leaves to our allotment site,but they were always full
of cans crisp bags,and even a couple of syringes(!).So I find it
better to collect my own leaves,and thus avoid,if possible,the
rubbish.I did not used to collect leaves from roadsides,since I
thought of the oil and leaded petrol deposits that would contaminate
the leaf mould.However,now that the majority of cars run on unleaded
petrol,and are moden enough not to drop oil,I am happier about it.Also
I am reluctant to use animal (horse or cow)manure for mixing with
compost at the moment because of the herbicide problem produced by the
Dow Chemical Company.
There is also the problem of dog faeces mixed up with the leaves,which
can be unpleasant,but again not as usual these days as most dog owners
seem to use bags.
Does it matter if some faeces ends up in the leaf mould,assuming that
one regular washes ones hands?

Leaves FFS !

You want to come round to mine and collect the Pawlonia leaves that next
doors tree has deposited everywhere. They are like (and as big as)
umbrellas!