Using fallen leaves in the garden

It's almost time for the leaves to start falling. A friend of mine told me to keep the fallen leaves and dig them into my soil - I have clay and he claims this will really help my soil.
So I've read up on making compost and leaf mould.
This simple idea became increasingly complicated the more I researched it.
I am not a subscriber, so was unable to access the soil and compost section. I know I know, I need to suscribe.

Anyone make compost or leaf mould have any suggestions?
Can I just mow the grass with the leaves and pile it up in the corner, or do I need a container or wired in area? One suggested to add bloodmeal and layer just leaves?
Should I just dig the leaves in the garden?







This message was edited Sep 17, 2007 10:25 PM

What I do is rake up all the leaves, then run them through my leaf shredder (I bought a leaf blower that reverses to a vacuum and came with a chopping blade--$50 or so at Home Depot). Then I just dumped it on top of the garden as mulch. That's the easiest thing to do. But if you can't chop the leaves up, then it's not such a good idea because if you leave the leaves whole, they'll mat down on the surface of the soil and not let water through very well. If you're planning to compost them in a traditional compost pile, shredding them is still a good idea since some leaves can be very slow to break down otherwise. I imagine the same thing would be true if you're going to dig them into the soil.

If you're into the least amount of effort possible (as I am!) and you don't feel like making a compost pile and worrying about browns and greens and keeping it turned and all that sort of thing, then shredding them and mulching the garden with them is a great easy way to go, and as the leaves decompose they'll improve your soil.

The one caution is that if the tree had any diseases like leaf spots or anything like that then those leaves should be thrown away--honestly I wouldn't even use them in a compost pile, if you do the compost right it may get hot enough to kill the fungal spores but quite possibly it won't, and then you'll be spreading the disease all over your garden.

I have clay soil too. I let my leaves dry completely. I crumble by hand and add to my mix of (bought) compost and peat moss. I use this mix for all my plants. Yes you can crumble them and dig them in around your plants.

Thanks, I knew ecrane3 would know.
I think I just want to use them as mulch. Quick and easy.

Smokey_sc, I like the idea of added them to compost 2!

Depends on which leaves you have. Maple leaves rot completely over the winter in my climate; oak leaves do not. Chopping would help, even if all you do is refrain from raking and then run your lawn mower over them as if you were mowing the lawn. Then rake up the shreds and dump.

Oh, and they're acid. So don't dump on the lime lovers!

So if I mow the leaves with the grass clippings, I read you can't use them if you have a pesticide on the lawn, and I was going to winterize the lawn with fertilizer with weed killer.
Shoot, now I'll have to wait to fertilize till after leaves drop.

I am not sure what kind of tree I have, it isn't a maple tree or an oak.
But I know it drops thousands of large leaves ha ha
I'm going to try it