Rotting apples-good for the soil?

[debbiem]

We have a little bog garden under some of the branches of our apple tree. Right now it's full of windfall apples and leaves. Since it's a bog would it be good for the soil to leave the apples there to rot, along with the leaves? It seems daft to remove them all if it would be better to leave them there.

[mickthecactus]

debbiem said:

We have a little bog garden under some of the branches of our apple tree. Right now it's full of windfall apples and leaves. Since it's a bog would it be good for the soil to leave the apples there to rot, along with the leaves? It seems daft to remove them all if it would be better to leave them there.

My feeling is to collect them and compost them.

When I moved into my current house there was an old neglected apple tree and I did just that. Previous owner left a couple of old plastic dustbins behind so I cut a hole in the base to let the worms get into it and dumped all the old apples into it.

Made lovely compost.

[debbiem]

mickthecactus said:

debbiem said:

We have a little bog garden under some of the branches of our apple tree. Right now it's full of windfall apples and leaves. Since it's a bog would it be good for the soil to leave the apples there to rot, along with the leaves? It seems daft to remove them all if it would be better to leave them there.

My feeling is to collect them and compost them.

When I moved into my current house there was an old neglected apple tree and I did just that. Previous owner left a couple of old plastic dustbins behind so I cut a hole in the base to let the worms get into it and dumped all the old apples into it.

Made lovely compost.

Thanks Mick. I've already filled up the compost bins with windfalls, and made ten ton of stewed apple for the freezer. So the compost bins'll benefit anyway..... I feel inclined to leave them there since they're already being broken down by all kinds of beasties. I like to think all the leaves and apples'll make the soil in the bog richer and all the more moist.

[mickthecactus]

debbiem said:

mickthecactus said:

My feeling is to collect them and compost them.

When I moved into my current house there was an old neglected apple tree and I did just that. Previous owner left a couple of old plastic dustbins behind so I cut a hole in the base to let the worms get into it and dumped all the old apples into it.

Made lovely compost.

Thanks Mick. I've already filled up the compost bins with windfalls, and made ten ton of stewed apple for the freezer. So the compost bins'll benefit anyway..... I feel inclined to leave them there since they're already being broken down by all kinds of beasties. I like to think all the leaves and apples'll make the soil in the bog richer and all the more moist.

You may well be right Deb.

[debbiem]

I think I'll leave them there Mick - why make work?

[Sleepy]

debbiem said:

I think I'll leave them there Mick - why make work?

The birds will enjoy them there.

The worst that they can do is rob the surface soil of some nitrogen as they decompose. At the conclusion of the docomposition that nitrogen will be returned to the soil.

I'll be OK

[debbiem]

admin said:

debbiem said:

I think I'll leave them there Mick - why make work?

The birds will enjoy them there.

The worst that they can do is rob the surface soil of some nitrogen as they decompose. At the conclusion of the docomposition that nitrogen will be returned to the soil.

I'll be OK

Thanks - they can definitely stay then.

[Sleepy]

debbiem said:

admin said:

The birds will enjoy them there.

The worst that they can do is rob the surface soil of some nitrogen as they decompose. At the conclusion of the docomposition that nitrogen will be returned to the soil.

I'll be OK

Thanks - they can definitely stay then.

Definitely

[owdboggy]

You can leave them to rot away on the soil and they will. However, if there were any Codlin moth grubs in the apples or if you have problems with Apple scab, then you could well be laying up trouble for yourself for the future. Scab spores proliferate in rotten fruit ready to re-infect your trees next Spring.

[debbiem]

The chickens have a go at the odd apple, the slugs demolish a few too. But if only the chickens would demolish the slugs! It's all round the wrong way!