[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by DAVES

Not if done right. Proper composting gets hot. It gets hot enough to kill both disease, weed seeds and insects.

The problem to me would be the wind. Would really not want to be gifted our neighbors leaves.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by DAVES

The Villages is far removed from the real world. In day of old in the real world, I used to use my rotary mower. I kept a really old one with a side discharge for this purpose.
Neighbors would spend hours raking leaves and bagging them. I would never pick up my leaves I would use my rotary mower to chop them up and blow them into the beds.
A few hand fulls of high nitrogen fertilizer mixed in and in the spring I had no or little work compost. Here many think sandy clay is normal and or good.

I believe that any excess nitrogen fertilizer will run off and end up in local lakes - where it causes that green underwater bloom of seaweed-like green vegetation - which in turn adversely affects the fish life. Some shallow Villages lakes have dried out during severe periods of drought - which produces a swamp gas as the dead vegetation deteriorates - said gas is somewhat toxic to residents living on the lake. I am NOT an expert biologist - just an average person stating an opinion.

Better to use manure and natural fertilizer.