Rotting leaf recipe?

[TooManyCooks]

Is there any "recipe" for inducing leaves to rot? I want to give my millipedes decaying leaves, but don't want leaves that are already decaying and carrying lord-knows-what inside them. If i were to pluck leaves straight off of a tree, how can i quickly get them to break down, if it's even possible?

 

[BoyFromLA]

There was recent post with similar topic.

Follow the link, and see:

looking for a rotted wood recipe

pretty much the title for millipedes

arachnoboards.com

 

[Doodlebird]

Is there any "recipe" for inducing leaves to rot? I want to give my millipedes decaying leaves, but don't want leaves that are already decaying and carrying lord-knows-what inside them. If i were to pluck leaves straight off of a tree, how can i quickly get them to break down, if it's even possible?

Typically I freeze some brown/dry leaves for a while, then add put them in the enclosure with a good mist. I have heard that freezing doesn't kill everything though, so that might not be ideal. Maybe if you have a houseplant you could take some old leaves from that? Since they are monitored for parasites.

 

[TwoJays]

If store bought, house plant will have chemical fertilizer/ bug spray

 

[Arthroverts]

I don't really know of any way to turn fresh leaves rotten fast, as this is achieved naturally by the slow processes of decomposition by fungal and bacterial growths, amongst other things, and this is arguably part of what makes them appetizing to millipedes. I have heard of people submerging not-totally-rotten (but still old) leaves under water to make them rot faster, but this doesn't really work with green leaves as they seem to rot too quickly.

The main problem arises in the green leaves still being full of sugars and things, so they either rot too quickly in artificial conditions or don't rot enough and then attract pests like grain mites.

Thanks,

Arthroverts