Place the collected autumn leaves in the opening of the shredder and wait a few seconds until the shredded leaves end up in the catcher at the bottom. So far, so easy. Only dealing with a shredder is not entirely safe. And what actually happens to the shredded end product? This article explains how to use a leaf shredder, shows you which actions you need to be particularly careful with and gives tips on how to best use the chopped leaves.
Chopped leaves decompose faster
Why chop leaves?
With a leaf shredder (€199.99) you can shred fallen leaves without much effort. This procedure is particularly recommended if you have to dispose of large quantities of leaves. You often need several garbage bags in a single day when collecting leaves. However, if you shred the leaves, the volume decreases enormously. Not only do you save costs for fewer garbage bags, you also protect the environment by using less plastic bags.
safety
A shredder shreds the leaves in no time at all with ease. However, there is also a high risk of injury. You should therefore observe the following measures when handling the device:
- don't work in haste
- study the instructions carefully before use
- Always set up the device at ground level
- Never allow children to play unsupervised near the shredder
- Switch off the device before cleaning
- only shred garden waste that is intended for the device
recovery
After you have shredded your leaves, store them in the compost. Since the leaves are already shredded anyway, they decompose all the faster. Thanks to the preparatory work, you can sprinkle the leaves over your beds as fertilizer or as a mulch layer after just a few days. The decomposed leaves enrich the soil with important nutrients. However, you must ensure that no mold forms due to moisture.