Beginner Gardening: fresh fallen or dry tree leaves. Does it matter?, 1 by smillr

smillr wrote:
I was wanting to incorporate leaves into my raised garden beds. This is the first time I have made raised beds. Is there a major difference between dried brown leaves and fresh fallen colorful leaves as far as nutrient loss? The same question is involved for making leaf mold. I realize leaf mold takes 2-3 years, But why burn em? And finally does the leaf mold process turn the leaves into a soil like composition or just moldy dark leaves? Thank you for taking the time to respond. Steve Bloomington, Illinois