100% leaf mulch this year - thoughts on deficiencies?

[beeman]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I could lightly till it in - do you think that would improve the overall soil conditions 3 months hence?

I think you will be better off getting it into the ground. I once added about 4 inches of leaves straight onto the garden. These compacted down over winter and the ground took a long time to warm up in the spring due to the density of the leaves, resulting in a soggy mess.
Now I shred everything and till the whole garden in the fall after adding the leaves.

[Labradors2]

According to "Teaming with Microbes", tilling isn't good for the soil because it destroys the soil structure, worms and other critters that live there.....

I always rather nervous about putting my trowel into my veggie garden because I usually manage to nail so many worms. Now I will be even more neurotic about it!

Linda

[ScottinAtlanta]

Beeman, I understand your point, but these are not whole leaves. They are finely shredded leaves, twigs, etc, put through a Craftsman chipper. They are much more porous to water than whole leaves. Based on this useful discussion, I think I will not till, but will mix in coffee grounds and lightly dust with fireplace ashes, and other wise leave to nature and her worms.

[BigVanVader]

Agreed, tilling isn't recommended from what I have read/been told. My normal routine is to take my leaves every fall and divide them equally on each vegetable bed I have, regardless of the amount...I have never had it be too much, and have had them as thick as 2ft. I add urine, gypsum, a little wood ash and whatever coffee grounds I can get. Then I just leave it be until planting. I will cover with manure if I have it, but I have planted straight into the partially composted leaves as well and everthing did great.

[ScottinAtlanta]

You folks are great! Exactly the discussion I needed.

[Father'sDaughter]

I have about five inches worth of about 80% mulched oak leaves and 20% grass clippings from the last few passes my husband made over the lawn with his Walker mower. One of my beds was down a couple of inches of soil and I just didn't want to buy and transport more compost to top it up. I lightly turned it in with a pitch fork before the ground froze. This is the first time I've tried this, so I'll have to find out how it works out next year.

Scott, please keep us posted on your results.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

... Question: Are there likely deficiencies I should worry about with pure leaf mulch?

Potash is the major one. Calcium is next. After that I'd be concerned about the species of trees contributing to the mulch as some introduce toxins to their leaves in the Fall by an evolution-motivated mechanism to control upstarts of annuals and occasionally of competitor perennials.

[ScottinAtlanta]

Thanks, Richard. I avoid the pecans, which are numerous here in Atlanta, and focus on red oak, white oak, water oak, and maple leaves. I have the rare luxury of choosing leaves since there are literally hundreds of 60 pound bags of leaves sitting on the sidewalk awaiting pickup on any given Fall week here.

[recruiterg]

I did this for 3 years at my old house and it worked great. I built raised beds and filled the beds with shredded leaves in the fall every year. I never tilled. The beds had tons of worms and the soil stayed moist longer, thus reducing the need to water all the time. I moved last year and need to start again. The first few times you mow the lawn in the spring, you can collect the grass clippings and throw them in as well.

[Hermitian]

Scott, adding some real wood ash and agricultural gypsum can shore up the K and Ca deficiencies. Somewhere on these boards I recently posted amounts.

[solid7]

Between bacteria as Cole_Robbie mentioned, and the nutrients that are released/made available from worms and insects, you will have absolutely no problem with leaves. Coffee grounds are a good addition, but you need to add them in moderation. They are still highly acidic in the spent condition.

I'd be in the same camp as the other fella who suggested having a daily whiz in the mulch around your plants. If you can get away with it, you'll be well rewarded.

[ScottinAtlanta]

I can see my neighbors watching as I stand over my beds contributing to a micro-nutrient deficiency. I don't think that will enhance demand for my vegetables.

[Salsacharley]

That's what pee...t pots are for.

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I can see my neighbors watching as I stand over my beds contributing to a micro-nutrient deficiency. I don't think that will enhance demand for my vegetables.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I can see my neighbors watching as I stand over my beds contributing to a micro-nutrient deficiency. I don't think that will enhance demand for my vegetables.

Just for clarification (pun intended) ...

The primary constituents of human urine are N, P, K. These are also primary -- not micro -- nutrients for plants. But in terms of the garden bed, there's not enough K in quantity to make a difference. For many crops (including yours) the proportion of N to K should be about 1 (N) to 1.5 (K) by weight for best outcome -- given everything else is horticulturally sound. Your present situation will provide plenty of N but fall short in K.

Calcium is classified as a secondary -- not micro -- nutrient for plants. You'd have to be suffering from hypercalcemia to provide Ca through urine to your plants. The trees won't be dropping it either.

The micronutrients (Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, Cobalt, Molybdenum) -- esp. those in the electrolyte series are important for disease resistance in many plants. I believe you will get them through your mixture of oak leaves.

[solid7]

If there are any actual worries about calcium - which is often present in soil in plentiful quantities - and one is inclined to stay organic, you can always add Calcium Carbonate or Citrate, (dolomite only if you need to alter PH) or even just good old ground egg shells. We keep a coffee grinder specifically for the task of reducing them to useable particle size. It doesn't take too much. Generally, just mixing a few spoonfulls around the root ball will do you for the growing season.

I always get naysayers about egg shell calcium, but for me, it gets used in sterile mixes, and I have yet to ever get BER, or calcium deficiency. Aerated compost teas are also good sources of calcium. I use them as both a root soak and foliar. They don't have to be used 1:1. I have used as weak as a 20% concentration.