topic Re: Using leaves as garden mulch in Garden

Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 17:51:38 GMT

Do any of you do this? Use mulched leaves in your flower beds? I have never done it and wonder what the pros and cons are. I have A LOT of leaves. TIA. LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Desertdi — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 18:05:07 GMT

We used to do it back in the "old days"........when we also had a steaming compost heap!

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

JustJazzmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 18:49:38 GMT

@Lilysmom

I haven't done this as my lawn crew is very much like this cartoon:

But, oak leaves do not mat like maple leaves do (if left on lawns). Oak leaves are acidic too so that's a boon for those who want to slowly change the pH of their soil to be more acidic. Pine needles are acidic too.

Just make sure they are mulched into small pieces so they can dissolve and decompose faster.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 18:59:04 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
We used to do it back in the "old days"........when we also had a steaming compost heap!

@Desertdi, Was it messy? Were you dirty every time you came out of the garden? Maybe I should try this in one spot? LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:04:14 GMT

@JustJazzmom wrote:
@Lilysmom

I haven't done this as my lawn crew is very much like this cartoon:

But, oak leaves do not mat like maple leaves do (if left on lawns). Oak leaves are acidic too so that's a boon for those who want to slowly change the pH of their soil to be more acidic. Pine needles are acidic too.

Just make sure they are mulched into small pieces so they can dissolve and decompose faster.

@JustJazzmom, why would I want my soil to be more acidic? I don't know the answer to that one but I know you do! LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

MalteseMomma — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:09:01 GMT

I always thought that is why leaves fall naturally.to protect and feed the next yr produce.I always wondered why we all blow them away ????

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

JustJazzmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:10:56 GMT

@Lilysmom

Why would I want my soil to be more acidic?

I was speaking in general terms, certain areas of the USA, west of the Mississippi River have more alkalinic soils due to the minerals found there naturally. Some people want to go organic so pine needles and oak leaves do help lower the pH.

Other products do too like Soil Acidifiers and Sulfur or Aluminum sulfate.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:15:25 GMT

@MalteseMomma, I know some leaves do not breakdown (oak, for example) and can kill a lawn.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:16:43 GMT

@JustJazzmom, so it makes things (only certain things?) grow better?

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

JustJazzmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:23:55 GMT

@Lilysmom

The things I mentioned help certain plants gain access to fertilizers and nutrients better if the soil is the proper pH for them.

Example: if you have an azalea in alkalinic soil, its going to be a lot harder for the azalea to access any fertilizer you put down for it than if you attempt to decrease the pH and then apply the fertilizer. Let me see if I can find that chart.

Look at the graph on this form and you will see what I am talking about:

How to take a soil sample - Cornell Cooperative Extension

ccenassau.org/resources/soil-testing-sheet

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:37:10 GMT

@JustJazzmom, ah! Very good explanation. I need to learn more about gardening vis a vis soil, etc. I am going to have a look at our Ag school to see what is available. Thanks for this. LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

JustJazzmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 19:48:44 GMT

The very first class in Master Gardener course I took from our County was about soil-- all day-- (6 hours in the classroom). An Aggy School instructor from State University of NY Farmingdale came over to give us what he termed an 'overview'. Mind you this is a 3 credit course over there for a semester.

Everything starts with the soil from its components, to what is in it--microbes, insects, decay, etc. and it isn't dirt!

Dirt is what you find inside your house when you vacuum.

We also learned how to test the soil for pH and to do the 'ribbon test' about what the soil is composed of-- clay, sand, loam or a mixture of all or none.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

ValuSkr — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 20:10:31 GMT

I would do it in a minute if I had a shredder. I live in a condo and most leaves are blown away by the landscaping crew, but there are still a lot I rake out of the shrubs and gardens myself. I'd love to shred them and put them back in the garden - it's terrific fertilizer. You can buy shredders for a reasonable price, but cheaper ones may not be as good. There are even leaf blowers with a shredding vacuum. Shredding quality, as I understand it, is measured by a ratio such as 10-1, or 20-1, representing, for example, 10 bags of leaves converted to 1 bag of shredded leaves. If you don't mulch, but have room to compost, I'd do that instead.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

DiAnne — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 20:17:49 GMT

At the rate I am going getting all leaves raked up I may be doing that!

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Mary Bailey — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 20:58:26 GMT

Last winter I did not pick up all the maple leaves. The places I missed had dead lawn under them in the spring. Maybe shredding them would made them compost.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 22:55:53 GMT

Thanks everyone. I may seriously consider the blower/vacuum/shredder. I need to think about this for awhile. I should be moving to less work, not more. At this stage, I'm not sure if this is the answer but I am interested in taking it further...LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

ValuSkr — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 22:59:55 GMT

@Mary Bailey wrote:
Last winter I did not pick up all the maple leaves. The places I missed had dead lawn under them in the spring. Maybe shredding them would made them compost.

That's my experience too, but with oak leaves. They're practically indestructible and get blown into my back yard where they mat when wet. That in turn kills the grass. I try to stay on top of it through the Fall and again in the Spring when the snow clears.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

goldensrbest — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 23:51:29 GMT

If you mow the leaves,so they are mulch, it is grate for flower beds, look at the dirt in the woods,it is alive,fertile.

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Lilysmom — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:08:05 GMT

@goldensrbest, thank God for the mower mulching the leaves. I would never get out of the yard in the Fall without it!LM

Re: Using leaves as garden mulch

Desertdi — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:24:51 GMT

@Lilysmom wrote:
@Desertdi wrote:
We used to do it back in the "old days"........when we also had a steaming compost heap!
@Desertdi, Was it messy? Were you dirty every time you came out of the garden? Maybe I should try this in one spot? LM

We had a fenced yard.......so the stuff didn't move over to the neighbors when the wind blew. Oh yeah......this can attract bugs, so I wouldn't do it aywhere near a structure.