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| Hi, I've been composting for almost 20 years and have been using chopped leaves as mulch for perennial beds for about 10 years. I have a lot of gardens, so gathering and chopping leaves for mulch is time consuming. First, I collect OPBL and also have trailers full of leaves dropped in my driveway. I spread about five bags of leaves out on the paved driveway and run them over twice with my push mower. Then I haul them in my wheelbarrow to some large compost bins in the woods until spring. In late spring, I spread them on my gardens.
I'm getting really tired of the chopping part of this procedure, so last year I build two very large bins. I filled them with whole leaves and let them sit there all summer. They started out about four feet deep and are now a little less than half the volume they were. My idea has been to let them rot for a whole summer and then to use them next year. Today I stared moving them into a new bin to get the leave on the tops and sides of the bins to rot down more. I've found pockets of leaves that were wet and pretty rotted, but still whole. Other spots were too dry and looked like they did the day I put them in the pile. I'm mixing everything the best I can and rewetting it as I put it in the new pile, but I'm concerned that it's not going to be broken down enough to crumble naturally by next summer. Has anyone used a method like this to make a leaf mold type mulch? Am I going to be able to avoid the chopping process? I've thought about getting one of those really tiny, high speed tillers to run through the pile to chop them up, but I'd rather not clutter up my garage with another tool or spend the money on one. |
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| I gave up with the leaves because it became way too labor intensive for me. I have enough space to make piles so I started letting a pile (whole leaves) sit for 2 years. Then I'll make a second pile with this year's leaves. The 2nd year leaf pile is almost ready the following Spring but could certainly sit for an extra year. I need it though so I just pick out the random clumps and chuck them into the new pile. I have limited greens but I collect them up throughout the season. I mix those in a 3rd pile with leaves I've collected to make a regular compost pile. It's ready and looks great in the spring. I had to sacrifice a year to get there but it's great to have nature do the work instead of me. I contemplating having a 3 year pile but I actually like the leaves less broken down. They last longer on the garden bed (I don't have enough to put down a thick layer) and do a good job of suppressing weeds. |
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- Posted by joepyeweed 5b IL (My Page) on Sun, Aug 28, 11 at 17:04
| I have a chipper shredder that can chop small limbs and leaves. It has a hopper for leaves. But I find the mower still to be the most convenient way to chop leaves for me. If I use the chipper shredder, I still have to rake them and move the piles (and or the shredder) around. Move them to the shredder, lift them into the shredder, and then move the shredded leaves where I want them to be. I can shoot the shredded leaves on to the garden, but often times the discharge blows off the mulch down to bare soil and starts blowing soil around. I don't like that. So then I end up blowing all the shreddings up against the fence, so then they have to be moved afterwards. If I use the mower, I don't rake them. I dump the leaves in the garden and run them over with the mower, right there in garden. Sometimes I just stack the leaves in the garden or on the flower beds in the fall, and then run them over with the mower in the spring. though I've found fall mowing works better for the perennial beds... because by spring, often time things in my flower beds are already sprouting. But in the garden, where most everything is an annual, spring or fall works for mowing/chopping. If I want to move chopped leaves say from the garden to the perennial beds, I use the mower. I put the bag on the mower , let it suck up a bag full of leaves and then use the mower to move the leaves over to a different area. Oh and having a self-propelled mower makes a big difference. I am not pushing the mower... its pulling itself and the leaves around. |
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- Posted by jugglerguy z4-5 MI (My Page) on Sun, Aug 28, 11 at 17:48
| I've never put leaves on perennial beds in the fall. I wait until late May when all the plants are up and then place them around the plants. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to pile up leaves there for the winter because it might invite disease or critters. I do put chopped leaves in shrub beds in the fall. My mower is self propelled and it's not that difficult to chop leaves with it. However, spreading the leaves out on the driveway and then raking them all up takes a ton of time. I was hoping to avoid all of that by just letting nature break the leaves down. Maybe I have to let them sit for three years, but I'm running out of storage room. As it is, I have a ridiculous number of compost bins. |
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| "I was hoping to avoid all of that by just letting nature break the leaves down." And it will, though as you note, space to let that happen can be an issue. There was a method posted on this forum using a string trimmer to shred the leaves after they are placed in a barrel. That works OK for dry leaves but IMO a lawn mower is easier. I have also used a bagging blower/vac which shreds the leaves well though again, not when wet. Current practice is raking leaves when wet, putting in a stucco wire cage and compacting via body weight as they amass. Then forgetting for a few years. In this climate three years yields crumbly leaf mold with bits of twigs and acorns. |
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- Posted by joepyeweed 5b IL (My Page) on Mon, Aug 29, 11 at 8:45
| I like to have leaves piled up on the beds in the fall because it provides some extra winter insulation for the plants below. For a few plants that aren't very winter hardy, I put a 4' tall chicken wire ring around them and fill it to the top with leaves, to give them extra winter protection. |
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| Some whole leaves, such as Maple, get broken down by bacteria fairly quickly while others, such as Oak, do not. That is why shredding helps. Each leaf is made into material of about the same size. People have noticed over the years that material put into the compost pile that are close to the same small size compost relatively quickly while large items take much longer. Mulching a garden in the fall has many benefits, although that mulch can be a home for some unwanted critters but that aslo can provide a winter home for some of the beneficials. If you regularly have problems with frost heave shredded leaf mulch can help prevent that. If you have planted something not frost hardy for your area a heavy mulch can help protect that plant from winter kill. Mulching the garden in the fall can mean you do not need to till that garden next spring because the mulch cover will help keep "weeds" from growing there and will aid in keeping the soil friable. |
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- Posted by novascapes (My Page) on Tue, Aug 30, 11 at 15:41
| I have read that microbes work more on the edges of leaves and other things for that matter than on the surface. I guess this is why chopping works faster. Another thing leaves tend to shed water so a surfactant (biodegradable soap) would help. I have also found that layering works well. I pile the leaves until spring. I rake the grass from the top of the field lines septic system (which are very high in nitrogen) and layer them through out the summer with the leaves. Clover is very good too. I tried mulching with leaves but found all I did is irritate the neighbor with my leaves blowing onto his place. |
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- Posted by jugglerguy z4-5 MI (My Page) on Tue, Aug 30, 11 at 18:18
| I completely understand all the benefits of chopping leaves before using them as mulch. Unlike novascapes, I haven't had problems with leaves blowing, although I thought I would before first trying leaf mulch. I was just hoping that I could let mother nature do the work I was doing if I gave her enough time. So no one has successfully made leaf mulch without chopping? |
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| "So no one has successfully made leaf mulch without chopping?" Noted previously: "Current practice is raking leaves when wet, putting in a stucco wire cage and compacting via body weight as they amass. Then forgetting for a few years. In this climate three years yields crumbly leaf mold with bits of twigs and acorns." |
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- Posted by novascapes (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 5:11
| If it is not blowing away like mine then it would work just fine as mulch. After all if you look in the forest it is what mother nature uses. Just looking it is a though nothing is happening. But the leaves in contact with the earth are composting and also forming vermiculite. I see no reason not to use them just the way nature intended. Seems like most of us just don't have the patience. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 10:46
| Quite true novascapes...although I think you were going for some other word than vermiculite - ? |
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- Posted by joepyeweed 5b IL (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 12:22
| I've successfully used leaf mulch without chopping. I just think the chopped leaves look nicer and once chopped, they stay put, they don't blow around. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 14:24
| Yeah, I just wish I had a list of everyone in town who uses a leaf sucker to clean up their yard! |
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- Posted by jugglerguy z4-5 MI (My Page) on Wed, Aug 31, 11 at 18:12
| Sorry Alphonse, I guess I missed that the first time. Since I'm a zone colder, I guess I should expect to wait at least three years to get what I'm after. Lloyd, you make a good point. Many of the leaves I collect are already shredded also. I even attempted to keep a record of where I collected the good bags one year, but lost it by the next year. I guess I just have to get more organized. I think I can get a system going where I collect bags, age the whole leaves three years and supplement with pre-shredded leaves. I think I might almost have the space necessary if I use that method. |
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| what about putting the leaves in plastic bags, squeezing as much air out as possible, close it up and leave in sun for a couple months? or for larger amounts, covering a mound of leaves with plastic? wouldn't this accelerate the process? |
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- Posted by billums_ms_7b Delta MS 8A (My Page) on Thu, Sep 1, 11 at 7:29
| I have the slowest composting organics imaginable. Southern Live Oak leaves (an evergreen oak tree that drops all it's leaves in the spring and then immediately puts on a new set), Southern Magnolias (nearly indestructible leaves), and lots of Pine needles. I shred everything with the mulching mower, but get much faster breakdown if I do a few additional things: I make sure to mix the shredded organics well with soil. This helps to keep things moist and provides plenty of starter bacteria to get things going. Since I tend to keep my pile in the same area, the dirt under there has become easy to dig. I make a special effort to keep the pile moist. I mix in those nice water absorbing polymer crystals. You can mail order them and get two pounds shipped for 20 bucks. (Two pounds last a very long time.) Then, in very dry weather I water as needed. I provide extra nitrogen in the form of time release granular fertilizer once a month or so. Of course everyone doesn't have organics that are quite so naturally resistant to breaking down, but like everyone else, you go with what you have. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Very inexpensive water absorbing crystals
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| I don't bother trying to store the leaves anywhere to break down. I do use it for 'mulch', by putting it right in the garden rows during the Fall/Winter. But first I use the lasagna method of putting layers of cardboard or newspapers down, and then putting a few inches of the shredded leaves. Actually I would rather leave the leaves whole, and they would last longer during the hot summer weather. But I'm in the foothills of mountains and the wind blows pretty strong during the winters, so the smaller particles of leaves tend to not fly away as easy. And most of my leaves are from oak trees. But by the end of the following summer, almost all of the layers of mulch are gone, and it's time for the next Fall covering. Sometimes I'll put some fine ground wood shavings from the sawmill on top to hold the leaves a little better. Works well for me! |
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| I use whole leaves as mulch for perennials, trees and shrubs without problems. Make sure the mulch does not touch the stems. My leaves are a mix of maple, oak, tulip, sassafras, black cherry, hickory, and a smattering of others. We do have a lot of earthworms that speed up the decomp of the leaves. |
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- Posted by catherine_nm Zone 5 (My Page) on Wed, Sep 7, 11 at 15:43
| Back to the question of how to chop the leaves up. 1. Take 2 9-10-yo kids (twins work well for this). Have them rake the leaves up into one very large pile. Leave them alone with said pile for about 4 hours. Have them rake the remains back into a much smaller pile and move to your composting location. 2. Rake the leaves into a fenced corner. Toss a tennis ball into the pile of leaves and let the neighbors' Labrador Retriever(s) go after the ball. When the dogs bring it back to you, throw it into the leaves again. Repeat until the dogs are tired (HA!) or the leaves have been reduced to a much smaller pile. 3. Combine 1 and 2 and have the twins throw the ball for the Labs. None of these methods are efficient or particularly fast, but they can be hilariously funny. Catherine (whose twins will be 10 on Sept 20) |
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- Posted by nevermore44 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 8, 11 at 15:12
| A few years back i collected OPBL, which consisted of a wide range of maple/oak/poplar/etc leaves. I didn't want to have to do the lawn mower chopping.. seeing/helping my father do that every fall growing up has made me never want to do it again. So i left them in the bags while i started collecting the used coffee grounds from starbucks. There are plenty of topics about getting the grounds on the site. I was able to fill a 5 gallon bucket every couple days with grounds. So all i did was dump a few bags of leaves into the compost bin, then throw a bucket of grounds on top.. and add a bit water.. Then repeat. I did end up turning it twice through the winter (just cause i was getting a bad case of cabin fever).. and once I got a scoop in from the edges.. it would be steaming away even in the bitter cold. I actually started sweating one time when it was snowing because of the heat coming off of it while turning the pile. Not the worst smell either. By the spring, the pile was 80% or so broken down into "leaf/coffee" mold that i could easy spread around. The outer edges that stayed too cold just got added to the regular compost to finish breaking down. You do have to get a large amount of grounds for this to work, but it was much less labor intensive and made the leaves available over a short time. |
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| Just to add to what Nevermore44 said. I did a similar thing with oak leaves and blood meal lasagna style. By the time of the spring turnings, the leaves were brittle, starting to blacken and falling apart, so about 60 - 80% composted. I used to use the mower method with my mulching mower, but used the bagger to pick up the shredded stuff. Shredded leaf mulch did sooooo much to amend my clay soil. |
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| I don't have a shredder, blower, wire trimmer or any other implements of destruction, so I've gotta rely on nature to do the work. I use shredded office paper and carob leaves for the hot pile, but the euc leaves, loquat leaves (which dry to a thick leather and don't crumble easily), sticks etc. go into the 3-sided pallet under the ironwood tree. Dry needles fall into the pallet, and I leave it for a year or so. Now and then when I'm playing with the pitchfork I'll go over and fluff it up, but generally I leave it. In our very hot, dry summer which lasts for 6-7 months, I'll add a bucket of water when I have extra, which isn't often. The slats of the pallet are wide enough that whatever is crumbled into lovely stuff falls through. In the Spring I'll move the whole pallet, collect what's underneath, and move it back for another year. Sometimes when I get the urge, I climb on top and jump. We finally got our first rain since last Spring!!!! |
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| jugglerguy: Either way the maple leaves around here aren't ready to use as mulch in spring. Shredded they take less room & do compost faster. Left whole whether in large wire bins or plastic bags rolled around now & then they're not ready until at least 2 years. Have you heard of chop & drop a term by Ann Lovejoy, a Pacific Northwest garden writer? As you cut back spent perennials just chop them up & drop in place as your bottom layer of mulch, then top those with the shredded leaves as you acquire them in the fall for your uniform look. This way you only move them once letting them compost in place. In spring you could lightly rake through them a bit to freshen up the beds at the time you've usually applied the leaves. Sometimes, I pile it on thicker in places especially with perennials that don't mind mulch over the crown & come spring can spread it out a bit more after I pull it back from the crowns. Slug bait is a must in my climate all year round! Maybe you want to try a longer lasting mulch such as arborist wood chips if you can get them delivered to you. They last much longer here than leaves & the combo works to enrich the soil. Sometimes, I mix up a batch of mulch to top off the beds to include used coffee grounds along with leaves & wood chips. Once they're spread on the soil & we've had a few rains you really can't tell what the dark stuff is there. |
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| I use chicken power. I collect OPBL by the hundreds (300+ last year) and dump them in my chicken yard. It's surrounded by deer netting, so the leaves don't blow away. As long as there's not snow on the ground the chickens happily scratch at the leaves. By late spring they've reduced a 3ft thick layer to perfectly pulverized leaf mulch with added manure. If you stockpile bags of leaves, you can replace the "harvested" mulch with fresh whole leaves. The longer days and warmer temperatures of spring and summer speed up the process considerably. I have 15-20 chickens in a yard ~ 60x100ft. You could certainly adjust size of the enclosure and number of birds to meet your specific goals. Mary |
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