Leaves make a great carbon source but take forever to break down alone. Though that will yield leaf mold, great stuff.
To hot compost them you need nitrogen to balance it- kitchen waste, coffee grounds, etc. If you have a coffee shop nearby they can be a great source of grounds, and plentiful source of N in winter. I had a local one for a while where they saved all the grounds for me. I always took a clean 5 gallon bucket with lid to replace the full one I was picking up. I had to go every day or the bucket was too heavy to carry! It was great until the shop closed.
Starbucks (at least some locations) save and give away "grounds for your garden"
https://news.starbucks.com/new...
Karen
