We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs. Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?

On 18/11/2023 12:11, Paul Mc Cann wrote:
> We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs. Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?

Depends on what you mean by harm?
They make the soil richer and more organic and preserve tender plants
from frost, but they make the soil slightly more acidic and can block
light from plants until the worms have eaten them.

--
"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow witted
man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest
thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly
persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid
before him."

- Leo Tolstoy

On 18/11/2023 12:11, Paul Mc Cann wrote:
> We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs. Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?

Not really, as TNP has noted. The only downside, in a mild, wet winter
is that they act as a comfortable refuge for slugs. With early soft
growth of herbaceous perennials, the slugs can have a field day grazing
away to their hearts' content.

--

Jeff

On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 04:11:30 -0800 (PST), Paul Mc Cann
<tpmccann@gmail.com> wrote:

>We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs. Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?

I rake up the leaves from my paths and throw them onto the flowerbeds.
Worms will take them down in time. But if they remain dry and we get
strong wind, the leaves just get blown back onto the paths :-(

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 18/11/2023 12:38, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 18/11/2023 12:11, Paul Mc Cann wrote:
>> We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs.
>> Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?
>
> Not really, as TNP has noted. The only downside, in a mild, wet winter
> is that they act as a comfortable refuge for slugs. With early soft
> growth of herbaceous perennials, the slugs can have a field day grazing
> away to their hearts' content.
>

It probably doesn't make much difference to slugs as they can bury
themselves in the soil, and to a considerable depth.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article <cfa3a9b4-55b0-4fc8-b906-8dfcbcc0e3d0n@googlegroups.com>,
Paul Mc Cann <tpmccann@gmail.com> wrote:
>We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs.
>Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?

While there ARE shrubs that might be harmed by a layer of leaves,
they won't grow in the UK, anyway :-)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 18/11/2023 22:39, alan_m wrote:
> On 18/11/2023 12:38, Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 18/11/2023 12:11, Paul Mc Cann wrote:
>>> We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs.
>>> Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?
>>
>> Not really, as TNP has noted. The only downside, in a mild, wet winter
>> is that they act as a comfortable refuge for slugs. With early soft
>> growth of herbaceous perennials, the slugs can have a field day grazing
>> away to their hearts' content.
>>
>
> It probably doesn't make much difference to slugs as they can bury
> themselves in the soil, and to a considerable depth.

<https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2009/10/a_mulch_of_autumn_leaves_breed.html>

"It seems DTWG had a bright idea last fall, which I have to admit
sounded reasonable. Instead of putting all of the fallen leaves into the
compost pile, why not rake a bunch over our flower beds to act as winter
protection? That part of the plan worked. Even a newly planted crape
myrtle survived last winter.

But the carpet of leaves also did something else. It provided a perfect
habitat for slugs to crawl under and deposit their eggs. Leaves are
airier and lighter than most mulch but still retain moisture and some
measure of warmth.

Hence, by spring, I had half the world's slug population bounding out
from underneath their leafy nursery and heading straight for the shoots
of my newly emerging plants."

--

Jeff

On Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 12:20:16 PM UTC, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 18/11/2023 22:39, alan_m wrote:
> > On 18/11/2023 12:38, Jeff Layman wrote:
> >> On 18/11/2023 12:11, Paul Mc Cann wrote:
> >>> We collect a lot for leaf mould but more gets on to beds with shrubs.
> >>> Would an excess of leaves do these beds any harm ?
> >>
> >> Not really, as TNP has noted. The only downside, in a mild, wet winter
> >> is that they act as a comfortable refuge for slugs. With early soft
> >> growth of herbaceous perennials, the slugs can have a field day grazing
> >> away to their hearts' content.
> >>
> >
> > It probably doesn't make much difference to slugs as they can bury
> > themselves in the soil, and to a considerable depth.
> <https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2009/10/a_mulch_of_autumn_leaves_breed.html>
>
> "It seems DTWG had a bright idea last fall, which I have to admit
> sounded reasonable. Instead of putting all of the fallen leaves into the
> compost pile, why not rake a bunch over our flower beds to act as winter
> protection? That part of the plan worked. Even a newly planted crape
> myrtle survived last winter.
>
> But the carpet of leaves also did something else. It provided a perfect
> habitat for slugs to crawl under and deposit their eggs. Leaves are
> airier and lighter than most mulch but still retain moisture and some
> measure of warmth.
>
> Hence, by spring, I had half the world's slug population bounding out
> from underneath their leafy nursery and heading straight for the shoots
> of my newly emerging plants."
>
> --
>
> Jeff

I'll have to come clean here. We usually vacuumed up the leaves from the drive but it could get tedious emptying the bag especially if they are wet, This year I started blowing them on to the adjacent beds. A lot easier. But the presbyterian ethic in my Northern Ireland soul hinted that it was too easy a way.