Autumn Leaves

[endymion]

We've always put collected leaves either under the hedges as a cheap feed, or in a pile/dalek to rot down before putting them onto the flower beds. Can we put them straight onto the veg patch?

They're mostly oak and beech - quite tough leaves that tend to take a while to rot down above ground.

We get absolutely loads of leaves because the wind seems to bring them into our garden, so, if it's a good idea, how thick a layer could we add?

[Two_Sheds]

There aren't any nutrients in leaves, so no good as a feed, but great as a soil improver/mulch.

If you spread them on your veg beds the worms will pull most of them down for you. You could then skim off the remainder in spring before you plant up?

I prefer to bag them up and use the leafmould as a potting compost and in my spud trenches (I was able to beat the scab this year by planting in leafmould instead of my soil).

[chris]

You must collect a load of leaves then TS? I need to find somewhere to collect them from that's free from dog poo which seems to be everywhere (parks/lake sites/etc) that I've eyed up already

[Aberdeenplotter]

If you spread them on your veg beds the worms will pull most of them down for you.

Brilliant if you have worms. Unfortunately we are infested with New Zealand flat worm which has decimated the natural worm population. Totally agree though, brilliant soil conditioner and superb in the tattie plot.

[Bren In Pots]

Chris do any of your neighbours have trees in their garden you'd be doing them and yourself a favour if you offered to rake them up. I've got a couple of silver birch trees and they cover mine and next doors garden with leaves so i soon fill my leaf compound thingie.

[Scarlet]

I won't be saving mine this year, our two horese chesnut trees both have the leaf mining moth. I 'm going to try to collect and burn all/most of the leaves in the hope that I can get rid of it or at least reduce the problem.

[chris]

Chris do any of your neighbours have trees in their garden you'd be doing them and yourself a favour if you offered to rake them up. I've got a couple of silver birch trees and they cover mine and next doors garden with leaves so i soon fill my leaf compound thingie.

Good idea Thanks

[VirginVegGrower]

You must collect a load of leaves then TS? I need to find somewhere to collect them from that's free from dog poo which seems to be everywhere (parks/lake sites/etc) that I've eyed up already

Visit to Markeaton Park should see you well sorted.

[VirginVegGrower]

Brilliant if you have worms. Unfortunately we are infested with New Zealand flat worm which has decimated the natural worm population. Totally agree though, brilliant soil conditioner and superb in the tattie plot.

How did they get from New Zealand to Aberdeen?

[Two_Sheds]

You must collect a load of leaves then TS?

Oh yes! The old railway track (now a cycle lane) runs from my house to school. On my bike I can collect one sack (half a one, really) each day. I have about 30 sacks at the lotty right now, rotting down ready for the spuds.
I have about a dozen at home for use as potting compost.

I have now learned to be a bit patient, and not to fill my bags with the freshly fallen leaves - I wait a month for them to get trampled down a bit, that way I can get more in my bag and they're already semi-composted, so quicker in the rotting down

[taff]

I suck them up from the outside trees using my freebie leaf sucker thingy...with my patented huge extension lead [chopped off a strimmer I think....]
yeah, anyway, what TS said...I don't have anything to add, I just wanted to share my leaf sucker

[chris]

Visit to Markeaton Park should see you well sorted.

My 'family' home is over the road (pretty much, not exactly) from there Still, loads of dog owners don't pick up there mind..

[Two_Sheds]

I probably sometimes get a bit of doggy doo in the bags - it all rots down.

I also get a lot of leaves on the avenues leading to my lotty: I have no shame at all, I go along with a dustpan (metal is best, plastic breaks) & black sack and scrape them all up out of the gutter. There's more plastic bottles and fag packs than dog poop tbh

[Shadylane]

Thirty sacks - wow. Where do you stash them all? I suppose the stuff in my piddly leaf mould bin that I made out of one of those green mesh compost bins from Argos won't go far then

[Two_Sheds]

They're up the lotty along the fence, under the bramble. And behind the shed, 3 deep