The cursed and glorified walnut leaves need to be addressed

Nut trees gradually lose their leaves and they keep piling and piling underneath. Piles of leaves should not be left rotting under trees. It is a good idea to deal with this problem quickly and remove them. Many people rake fallen leaves and burn them but this is not the ideal approach because even dried walnut leaves produce a huge amount of smoke and this could bother people around you very much. So, how should you get rid of all those leaves? Can you put them in your compost? Can walnut leaves be actually used for something? We shall answer these questions in the lines below.

Can walnut leaves be composted or not?

Even experienced gardeners will not give you a straight answer. Some put them in the compost, while others are strongly against it. The problem is that walnut leaves are much more durable and decompose very slowly. You can speed up the decomposition by shredding the leaves or you may sprinkle them with nitrogen fertilizer to speed up the process. Some people pour urea over them to achieve the same goal. So, there are ways to speed up the decomposition of leaves.

Photo: Pixabay

Mix leaves with other organic waste

If you decide to compost leaves try mixing them with other leaves and organic waste. About ¼ of walnut leaves should be mixed with other organic waste. Simply rake the leaves into a pile and add them to the compost during October to December. Walnut husks may also be put in compost.

Photo: Pixabay

Leaves and husks

Walnut leaves and husks (pericarps), are also used for medicinal purposes. Cut green leaves and husks into small pieces. Put a teaspoon of this mixture into a cup and pour hot water over it and let it boil. The extract is quite strong and it is mainly used to fight toe fungus and bruises. Today, this tincture is used quite commonly as a folk medicine. To achieve best results collect green husks and leaves in July.

Preview photo: Pixabay