Where are your leaves?

[Thomas]

My leaves all got shredded and tilled in my new section of garden for 08' season. I did the same with them last year and my garden turned out great this year. I also sprinkled some dry molasses in before I tilled..things seem to break down faster with molasses.

[Suze]

I now live in an extremely heavily treed area, and have been shredding them up for use in the garden so far. I think I will be using many of them as mulch next spring instead of tilling them in as an amendment. Wheat straw (what I am used to using) is hard to come by in my area.

[bryanccfshr]

20 -30 gal Bags in the compost, a few dug into the Beds with the cover crops covered with a foot of hay mulch on top.

[Adenn1]

I mowed and bagged them up...now have a nice mixture of grass and chopped leaves covering my beds. The rest will be mulched and left in the yard...helps improve the soil.

My township comes by several times in the fall to pick up leaves...you have to get them to the street. They are all taken to a large park and composted for the next year. You can then get the free leaf compost in the spring.

[caascher2]

I picked up several bags off the street and got some from my neighbor, since my yard doesn't have that many trees. We mowed them and put them in the compost pile.
Carol

[jungseed]

It got windy, so all mine are at the neighbors.

[bcday]

Originally Posted by jungseed

It got windy, so all mine are at the neighbors.

It was windy here too, so the neighbors' leaves are now here.
And I'm not letting them get away!

[jungseed]

Bet most gardeners would like my neighbors, better than I do. they leave horse manure everywhere also. Guess I have the perfect soil additions and have no appreciation for it. But it is really hard to get off the under side of your car!!!!

[Miss_Mudcat]

I want a riding lawn mower with a grass catcher for Christmas!

As it is now, I mow over the leaves with the push mower with a VERY TINY grass catcher. It takes a long time to collect shredded leaves that way. I have 27 - 100 sq. ft. beds and they are mostly full of mulched leaves and grass. That stuff is FAB! especially when combined with horse or cow manure.

Happy Gardening! (Is it Spring yet?)

Lisa

[Tom C zone 4/5]

About 100 wheelbarrows of leaves are on the beds nestled on top of about 20 wheelbarrows of goat manure.

36 45 gallon bags are stacked against being used in the spring as mulch.

Another 100 wheelbarrows of leaves went into the compost bins fer werm food.

[Sherry_AK]

First ... you're not asking where my leaves are so you can come and steal them ... right?????

We have loads of birch leaves. Most are left where they fall and chopped up by the lawn mower. Then they're left to nourish the lawn. I do rake up about 20 or more good-sized bags to use for mulch on the rose bushes. Then in the Spring when they are pulled off the beds, I chop them up and add to the compost pile.

(Now, really, you're not coming for my leaves, are you???)

[piegirl]

My neighbor's leaves are in my leaf bin. A few bags mulching some plants in windy areas. The leaves breakdown into the most beautiful, fine, leaf mold by spring which goes on top of several flower/veggie beds. It looks like I covered the area with dark rich cocoa. I leave most of mine until spring since I have few trees and really exposted beds. Without a heavy snow cover many of my plants die out. Piegirl

[windsng225]

I also use leaves and till them into the garden bed in spring after all the snow and ice has melted. I worry about grass clippings though, I am afraid of grass seed in the garden bed. I have enough problems trying to keep the weeds out. I am too old to be on my knees weeding every day.
But before I till (my son does it for me) I add lots of crushed egg shells and dried used coffee grounds and till everything together. It seems to work for me, had a great success this past season.
joyce

[Thomas]

Joyce..You sound like a gardner that is maybe missing something..I didnt pick one weed last year...I didnt have to water hardly at all...and I had the best crop ever of maters...all due to the fact that I used 6 mil black plastic for my mulch...Im telling ya...once you try it you will never go back.

Lay it out..cut your holes for the plants..I also run soaker hoses under my plastic so that I dont have to go out and water each one...saves time and money.. The plastic will last a long time and the next year you will already have the holes so you dont have to use a string to get your plants straight.

[strmywthr3]

my leaves are plowed into the garden. some left laying on top of the garden and many more in my flower beds. I have 6 large maples in my side yard and several more scattered in the front and back yards. I don't have to worry about having enough leaves!