I'm waiting for some of the plants to get up to an attractive size because it is much more impressive when you see a basket with plants in it. Believe me,if people could just realize the potential of these basket gardens to save the leaves to make desperately needed compost and keep produce from going to landfills it would wonderful. I have put as much as 110 gallons of produce as well as 50 bags of leaves in one of these basket gardens. These things are huge. They are nearly 36 cubic feet in capacity. 12.6 square feet of growing space. No wasted space, no retilling, no bending over, wire fencing lasts for years. Vertical blinds slats last for years, they are made to take the sun in people's windows. Leaves are one of the most valuable assets on this planet and soil is more valuable than gold in the long run. When you spend gold it's gone. When you use soil it produces food and you've still got the soil and it keeps on producing. Please, everyone, save as many leaves as you can. They are valuable. Make compost with them and old produce. If we deplete the soil of it's nutrients how are we going to grow plants unless we put compost back into the soil. Those trees' roots have brought up nutrients from deep underground and put them in the leaves. That's how God makes fertilizer. Check out some info on the internet about leaves. You'll be amazed.
Article from AP in Dec. 07' Researchers believe kudzu is releasing ground-level ozone, contributing to smog, breathing difficulties and global climate change. It's leaves emit a volatile organic compound called isoprene into the air, and its roots convert atmospheric nitrogen into the soil where it is converted by bacteria into nitric oxide. In the presence of sunlight, isoprene and nitric oxide nix together to nake ozone. Though manyh plants contribute to ozone pollution, it seems kudzu works faster and produces larger puantities. UNQUOTE! Better not put kudzu in compost or anaerobic digesters.
I wish I had more good leaves to use - alas, I have mostly oak and firs... still I would love to see one of these in action, so to speak. I wonder how well they work in cooler, rainy climates like ours?
