What to do with Leaves from winter in the garden.

[MeatyRock]

I decided this year to take my leaves from the lawn and put them in the garden. I have a leaf vacuum that munched up the leaves. I usually add in-ground soil mix from Miracle Grow to my garden each year before hand. I'm looking for some advice on how to approach it this year. Do I rake the leaves out? Do I mix them in with existing soil? Do I just add my soil on top? Any advice would be awesome. This is for a vegetable garden BTW. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[Tetters]

Those leaves will rot down with a little time. It would be easiest to simply add soil to the top and let it take care of itself. We harvest our leaves each autumn into builder bags, and let it rot in those. Leaf mould is a really good addition to the soil. Farmyard manure would be better than the Miracle grow stuff!!
Welcome to the forum

 

[MeatyRock]

Thank you so much!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I am fortunate enough to have a huge woods behind me, so I drag big tarps of them there, rotating spots every year. WE have lots of leaves. And sometime on my property, I pile them high on our burn pile and burn them. Have to have a burn pile, we have lots of twigs, and branches that fall as I live on a wooded property. About 20, 180 foot trees in our front yard alone. Usually the beds are the last to clear out, the lawn areas are first. Leaves will kill the grass. And before some one says they are good for the grass, you come over here and walk though the mess when they fall they are over your ankle high. I do have places where grass was, that are last to be removed, and the grass is dead.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I do have places where grass was, that are last to be removed, and the grass is dead.

Bet the grass grows back quickly when you have moved them

As for the leaves in the OP's garden I would say it doesn't really matter how you get them into the soil, they will still do some good when you do. Whether you mulch with them as they are, mulch with them partially composted, or dig them in they will end up as leaf mould in the soil; that means better consistency, moisture retention, and drainage. There is an experiment pouring excess water through various mediums, leaf mould will finish draining first, but hold on to more of the water than the others.
What leaf mould does not do is supply lots of nutrients, there are some, of course, but not lots.

 

[Tetters]

Having run a camping site for many years I can vouch for grass growing back quickly. The end of each season left the grass looking like a patchwork quilt, but each new season showed a lovely green new start

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Bet the grass grows back quickly when you have moved them

Nope it stays dead in that area all year. This is not the first time my leaf rotation works out that way. Although since I have a large garden, the dead area is over on the side, not top of my list to look nice, too many other areas to deal with. Just proving, leaves kill grass.

 

[Ruderunner]

Might depend on the leaves. I think walnut and oak will do a number on grass hut maple is much more forgiving.

I have mostly maple around here and I put my leaves in the garden, usually chopped by the mower. Usually I till them in.

There's the possibility of using the leaves as mulch, maybe rake them into your footpaths then spread them around your plants for weed control.

 

[walterbyrd]

Having run a camping site for many years I can vouch for grass growing back quickly. The end of each season left the grass looking like a patchwork quilt, but each new season showed a lovely green new start

A bit off subject, but I have recently learned that shoveling snow off the grass harms the grass more than leaving the snow on top of the grass. At least, that seems to be true when it is very cold. At least, that has been my experience.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

A bit off subject, but I have recently learned that shoveling snow off the grass harms the grass more than leaving the snow on top of the grass. At least, that seems to be true when it is very cold. At least, that has been my experience.

Yep, when it gets cold at night the air above the snow is colder than the snow and it insulates the ground below. Shovelling also puts in a fair bit of energy, the snow left in contact with the grass will be compacted and possibly slightly melted, when it then refreezes in contact with the grass it is going to enable the freezing of water in the plant cells. When it freezes it expands and can rupture the cells, frostbite for grass.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

There is also something else. My elderly next door neighbour of years ago used to say that six inches of snow was as good as a coating of manure, and I think there is something in it. I don't know if something happens in snow clouds to help fixate nitrogen, the microbiology of the soil is protected by it, or what, but if there is a good snowfall things seem to do better the next year.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

A bit off subject, but I have recently learned that shoveling snow off the grass harms the grass more than leaving the snow on top of the grass. At least, that seems to be true when it is very cold. At least, that has been my experience.

Totally astounded, the thought process to even think of shoveling snow off grass. Too much other needed shoveling to do over here.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

One winter we had 28 inches of snow. Just made enough path to the cars etc. The beds were loaded, and the snow encased all for 3 weeks before any melting. That spring the plants all seemed very happy, did not loose any.

 

[walterbyrd]

Totally astounded, the thought process to even think of shoveling snow off grass. Too much other needed shoveling to do over here.

I have bird feeders, and a heated birdbath. I shovel a path to feeders and birdbath because they need to be cared for, and it's easier than constantly tramping through the snow.
Usually, this does not seem to make a much of a difference. But, a while back, we had snow and very cold temperatures - like ten below zero (F) at night. Once the snow melted, the grass where I shoveled was noticeably more brown, brittle, and sparse, than the surrounding grass.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I have bird feeders, and a heated birdbath. I shovel a path to feeders and birdbath because they need to be cared for, and it's easier than constantly tramping through the snow.
Usually, this does not seem to make a much of a difference. But, a while back, we had snow and very cold temperatures - like ten below zero (F) at night. Once the snow melted, the grass where I shoveled was noticeably more brown, brittle, and sparse, than the surrounding grass.

I have bird feeders also, about 20 feet from the deck. I just put on the boots and off I go in the snow to fill them. So the snow path is stomped down, just re-walk in the same snow path.

I guess I am from old school. When I lived on the farm in Ohio. Nothing for me to toss a 70 lb bag of corn, pile on the boots and hike through snow to the chicken coop. Maybe part of it was a sideway, but most was not. Good on your thigh muscles to walk in deep snow.