Mid-Atlantic Gardening: To increase soil porosity, does LeafGro=compost?, 1 by sempervirens

sempervirens wrote:
The pine bark fines are just the suggestion I need to replace peat due to the previously mentioned environmental concerns. Thanks.

I also noticed that pine needles ( collected roadside before the town leaf pickup) added as a mulch in the fall break down into the soil by midsummer as do the leaves (except maybe oak) that I allow to cover the garden beds in the fall.
I then cut the branches off as many Christmas trees as I can find close by in the winter for application to the garden
after the the ground is frozen and part of those needles break down too by the time spring rolls around and they are removed.

In the photo you can see the needles and leaves already breaking down in March around the bluets.
Layers of duff slowly build up and slowly enrich the soil.
It takes a little time but you have a rich soil after a few years and less work.