Mowing

[big rockpile]

My Son suggested next Fall just mow the leaves to put Organic matter into the grass.

Use Wood Chips as mulch.

big rockpile

 

[Meadowlark]

Mowing is one of the great tools of the vegetable gardener.

My winter cover crop of alfalfa, rye, turnips, vetch, and radishes has produced literally tons of green organic matter.

How to get this green organic matter into the soil easily and efficiently?

Mowing.

It took less than 5 minutes to mow, mulch, chop all this green organic matter. I'll probably let it all regrow a month before mowing again and then discing it into the soil.

I conservatively estimate adding about 3 pounds of green organic matter per square foot to this soil, which will grow some delicious corn this spring.... all for just the cost of a few seeds.

 

[mkmiraglia]

My Son suggested next Fall just mow the leaves to put Organic matter into the grass.

Use Wood Chips as mulch.

big rockpile

No. Leaves are acid-based, grass is nitrogen (alkaline). Leaves are not a good amendment for grass. They have barely any nutritional value, their value is in breaking up soil and holding moisture.
It IS a good idea to chop them up with your mower, because it speeds the decomposition process. The more edges, the faster they break down. And then you can use them to, like I said, amend soil that needs to hold more moisture or that needs to be broken up (such as clay). For grass, you want to compose a mixture of sand, greensand, bone meal and some good garden soil, sprinkle this liberally over your lawn after every mowing, and your lawn will improve. But not leaves. Leaving the grass clippings is better.

 

[River]

I’m not disputing what anyone else has commented on, but I agree with your son as long as you have a mulching lawnmower. You mulch/shred those leaves in the fall will give it time to decompose to some degree. Earthworms like it.

 

[big rockpile]

Another thing come up with.

Use Leaves as Bedding for my Chickens and clean the House out regular put it on the Compost Bin.

 

[River]

If you have a lot of leaves and you mulch them and used them as bedding it would compost especially if you clean it out and move it an area and create a larger pile every few weeks.

Although I don’t know enough about chickens if it would be okay for them. I always ask folks who have chickens if I can clean out their coops and use that to add to my compost pile. Most folks use it.

 

[big rockpile]

I was just reading Oak Leaves may be harmful to Chickens.

big rockpile