Do leaves make a good mulch?

[george]

I'm helping my parents mulch their yard. Last year, they noticed that the areas of the yard where they raked leaves and left them were much healthier in the spring. We think the leaves broke down and enriched the soil, but they also might have helped insulate the grass against a late freeze.

So, in the fall, they saved up a bunch of fallen leaves that the neighbors were throwing out. Now we have about dozen bags of leaves. Those bags spent the winter sitting in a garage and haven't really broken down much.

Is it okay to use those leaves as mulch? If we work leaf mulch into the soil, how will that affect the acidity and nutrient balance?

[CaliforniaDreamer]

As long as you don't bury the leaves, there shouldn't be any problem. When leaves decompose underground, they can create airless pockets and mold issues.

You might want to try composting the leaves before using them as a fertilizer. It helps to shred or crush the leaves into a find powder before putting them in with compost. That way, they will break down quickly and not have time to grow unhealthy mold.

[MasterComposter]

Actually, you can bury leaves and they'll be fine. It's called Trench Composting. You just want to till them in and mix them up well when you bury them to avoid what the other guy described. They'll decompose underground and add a lot of rich carbon organic material back into your soil.

But that's really not what you were asking about.

Using leaves as a mulch is definitely a free way to mulch instead of buying cedar or hardwood mulch, and will be just fine.

[ladybug]

you're right....leaves are good for mulching. But you have to see to it that molds and other fungi don't grow in the pile because this might affect the growth of your plants. when leaves decompose they return nutrients to the soil as illustrated in the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

[george]

Cool! Thanks for the info.

Are there any natural ways to treat leaves to prevent mold?

[val]

I bought an electric leaf shredder that I love. Very easy to use, and since I live in the middle of a forest, it was a shame to let all those leaves go to waste. Mulched two large perennial beds last fall, and am looking forward to doing more this year.

[farmerpiper]

Val did you have any problem with molds or pests with your mulch?

[gardengirl]

Leaves make a terrific, free mulch and what's more is that you can use decomposed leaves as compost. Shredding leaves really helps this process. If you don't have a shredder, try run over your piles of leaves with your lawn mower, passing it back and forth until your leaves are very well shredded.

If you don't have many trees on your own property, drive around your neighborhood in the fall when people put out huge bags of leaves for pick-up. These are yours for the taking!

If you are making compost from leaves you will need piles and piles and piles and piles! You get the idea. Hugh piles of leaves compost down into very small mounds of compost.

What some people do is use leaves as an ingredient for compost. A nicely balanced compost has many ingredients in it so that it is rich in nitrogen and carbon. Leaves provide carbon. Layer this carbon between layers of nitrogen-rich compost. Turn your compost now and then.

So use leaves! They're free and very beneficial.

[val]

Farmpiper, I haven't had any problems with mold or pests, though I only have been using the leaf shredder since last fall. I did notice yesterday that the beds with the leaf mulch are much further along than those without, so that's a good thing!

[george]

Originally Posted by val

Farmpiper, I haven't had any problems with mold or pests, though I only have been using the leaf shredder since last fall. I did notice yesterday that the beds with the leaf mulch are much further along than those without, so that's a good thing!

That sounds promising.

How are the mulched leaves at retaining moisture? Do leaves retain water better or worse than wood chips?

[fireflies]

Both leaves (shredded) and wood chips are good in water retention.

As shredded-leaf mulch decompose, they adhere to each other but also allow water and moisture to seep down to the soil surface..Course wood nuggets however are less effective at retaining moisture..

Water penetration of wood chips is good also, but for leaves , you can have problems with matting...