Return to the Soil Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
? Re: using fresh shredded leaves in soil
| | |
Posted by mooseheadme 3 (My Page) on Sat, Nov 21, 09 at 9:53
| I am a novice at composting, amendments and soil enrichment methods so any advice would be appreciated. We bought a house in a woodland area in Maine that was previously used for logging. Therefore, no landscaping at all had been done. Had to dig wide and deep and then sift the soil to get the loose slate out of the soil before planting each plant or shrub. Using a "recipe" of lawnmower "freshly" shredded leaves the size of cornflakes, I mixed: 1 part leaves, 2 parts sifted soil and 1 part bag of Miracle Garden Soil containing fertilizer. I used this mix immediately for planting but don't know if it was ok to do this?
Questions: If I just leave a mixture of 1 part shredded leave and 2 parts soil in a pile over the winter will it be ok to use it by spring? Will it have broken down enough to add nutrients to the soil by then?
Thanks so much!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: ? Re: using fresh shredded leaves in soil
| | |
| As it is, your soil is probably fine to use on it's own but it certainly won't hurt to add the leaves. Not sure if you are doing perennial or veggie gardening or others, but the addition of leaves to perennial beds is quite useful and sometimes underated. I live in the Peggy's Cove area of Nova Scotia just north of you and we grow granite rocks so leaves have become my friend for amending the soil. Perennials love carbons. I can also relate to the slate you speak of since 10 years ago we lived in Halifax, N.S. and in that city, slate is grown!! Sharp darn things - I prefer granite by far. :O) To tell you the truth, if I was going to do some mixing of soil and leaves, my ratio would be 1 to 1, or even less for the soil. Just a bit of it actually goes a long way - especially when the worms start moving in which they will do for the winter if your pile is big enough. They'll work it throughout the winter for you. |
RE: ? Re: using fresh shredded leaves in soil
| | |
| The leaves that fell from my trees this fall and that were mulch mowed into the soil are being digested by earthworms right now, I know because of all the castings I see. I's suspect that the nutrients from the leaves you mixed into that soil will be available to plants be next spring. |
|
|
|
|
