Autumn Leaves

[Robin Watton Stevens]

This year we moved from an apartment complex to a house so we don't have "men" who take care of the leaves here. We have a lot of Maple leaves and were wondering what the best use for them would be. We could just rake them out to the street for the city to take away. We could burn them in the fire pit. We could also rake them to the side of the woods next to our house. We could make a big pile and let them sit at the back of the property for compost. (I know that Oak leaves are good for this, what about Maple?) Or we could just leave them on the ground. What does anyone think?

 

[zigs]

Be worth making leafmold from them, excellent soil conditioner, best thing is to make a wire netting enclosure to stop them blowing around. Takes about a year for them to break down, quicker if you can run them thru a lawnmower to cut them up. Well worth doing

 

[Robin Watton Stevens]

Thanks for your reply...We do have some in an enclosed part of the back yard (we say yard, you say garden!) which we're leaving to enrich the soil. We also have a ton in the side yard so we think we're going to go ahead and rake them together in a pile and put up wire, like you say, and use them as compost as well. Maybe some of it will be broken down by spring. Not much in the way of gardening has been done to the property but the soil is pretty good and hopefully we'll get something going next year. In spite of living in an apartment complex for years, we were able to do some gardening there so we've got a few skills and hope to do something nice here as well.
BTW...I like your Tom Baker (Donald MacDonald) avatar!

 

[zigs]

Ta

It's a fungal process so sprinkling some yeast in the leaves should get it going

 

[Robin Watton Stevens]

Yeast!? I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

 

[zigs]

I did a small experiment last winter, filled a bucket with damp leaves and yeast, it had rotted by spring, but the bucket was in the warm so not entirely scientific

 

[claudine]

Robin Watton Stevens, if I were you, I'd make at least one big pile of leaves. It will help hedgehogs Those adorable, little creatures like hiding under dry leaves when it's cold.

 

[zigs]

Robin Watton Stevens, if I were you, I'd make at least one big pile of leaves. It will help hedgehogs Those adorable, little creatures like hiding under dry leaves when it's cold.

Me too

 

[Meowmie]

Don't give it a thought at my house. Hubby mows the leaves, chopping them into a bag and they are the blanket for my garden beds for the winter. Covered with black plastic they miraculously become dirt with a lot of worms when I uncover the beds in the spring.

 

[Robin Watton Stevens]

Yes, we did make a big pile at the edge of the small wood next to the house. We don't have hedge hogs or Zigs (!), but we do have ground hogs and chipmunks so maybe they'll make a burrow to hibernate in...we still have leaves to rake up, but we're making a pile at the back for compost for next year's garden and I'm getting some yeast to put on that... ...boy am I pooped!

 

[zigs]

Ground hogs sound good, off for a google......

 

[zigs]

Ahh, it's that thing with the stuck alarm clock

 

[claudine]

Yes, we did make a big pile at the edge of the small wood next to the house. We don't have hedge hogs or Zigs (!), but we do have ground hogs and chipmunks so maybe they'll make a burrow to hibernate in...we still have leaves to rake up, but we're making a pile at the back for compost for next year's garden and I'm getting some yeast to put on that... ...boy am I pooped!

I've just googled chipmunks and ground hogs and I must say that they're as cute as hedgehogs!! I want them to live in my garden too