Dumb Garden Question

[RSKY]

I have a small garden behind my house that measures about 12' by 20' at it's widest dimensions. We grew enough Kentucky Wonder green beans last year to can for three families. And finally pulled the vines up because we were tired of messing with them. This year I am going to plant purple hull peas. My oldest daughter would eat them three meals a day seven days a week. I am nearly as bad. Everything else, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, will be grown in my bucket garden. My disabled neighbor has one of the leaf vacuums that he pulls behind his mower and he vacuumed up my leaves last fall. They have been sitting in a pile in the backyard and we have been burning them in a barrel but got tired of that and now have four large trash bags full of leaves for the trash pickup. My question is would these leaves be good to use as mulch on my little garden?

In the past I had large gardens and used a tractor cultivator and tiller to keep the weeds down. This little garden is surrounded by patios and a paver wall so that is impossible now. I know leaves usually make the soil more acid and I don't know if that would hurt the plants. If I do this I intend to lime the garden spot pretty heavy before I till the leaves in this fall.

Any comments?

RSKY

 

[bcp]

Might make a difference depending on what kind of leaves.

Bruce

 

[randy41]

shredded leaves are great for mulch. they add nutrients and organic matter to the soil when they decompose.

 

[Jstpssng]

shredded leaves are great for mulch. they add nutrients and organic matter to the soil when they decompose.

What he said although if you have used weed&feed or other herbicides on your lawn it's a bad idea.you also can have too much of a good thing as they start composting, as it may affect your soil PH. Rather than vacuuming them I like to use my mower in the fall, starting at the outside, blowing the leaves in- mowing and mulching them into tighter and tighter circles.

PS; if yours is a dumb question, then I had better stop posting.

 

[RalphVa]

I have a small garden behind my house that measures about 12' by 20' at it's widest dimensions. We grew enough Kentucky Wonder green beans last year to can for three families. And finally pulled the vines up because we were tired of messing with them. This year I am going to plant purple hull peas. My oldest daughter would eat them three meals a day seven days a week. I am nearly as bad. Everything else, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, will be grown in my bucket garden. My disabled neighbor has one of the leaf vacuums that he pulls behind his mower and he vacuumed up my leaves last fall. They have been sitting in a pile in the backyard and we have been burning them in a barrel but got tired of that and now have four large trash bags full of leaves for the trash pickup. My question is would these leaves be good to use as mulch on my little garden?

In the past I had large gardens and used a tractor cultivator and tiller to keep the weeds down. This little garden is surrounded by patios and a paver wall so that is impossible now. I know leaves usually make the soil more acid and I don't know if that would hurt the plants. If I do this I intend to lime the garden spot pretty heavy before I till the leaves in this fall.

Any comments?

RSKY

Leaves are all Mr. Jefferson used on his veggie garden. Research has shown that there is a little bit of acid spike but that the soil comes out neutral in the end. Ground up leaves are the major component of my mulchy compost that I put on my veggie garden. The silly town people just throw them away in bags at the curb every fall. I go around and collect them.

Ralph

 

[teejk]

My handy dandy guide says leaves might need to be supplemented with some nitrogen...40:1 or up to 80:1 which I guess speaks to an earlier comment about different trees. Either way, the ratios seems to be "spit in the ocean" and can be adjusted easily. Might want to test the soil though. Beans and peas are from the same family and each family seems to stress the soil in their own unique way (hence the concept of crop rotation if you want to stay "pilgrim"). I meant to pick a cheap test kit today for my MIL's house but forgot. Tomorrow.

 

[DrRod]

I could be wrong but aren't beans legumes and therefore nitrogen fixing and this would naturally counteract any negative effects of the leaves?

 

[CobyRupert]

I use to put one years worth of leaves in a circular chicken wire cage for a year, letting it get plenty of water. I sure turning it over periodically would of sped up the decomposing process, but I never bothered, instead I just waited another year. Never had the resulting soil tested, but things grew well in it.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I could be wrong but aren't beans legumes and therefore nitrogen fixing and this would naturally counteract any negative effects of the leaves?

I think you are 100% correct. Purple Hull peas grow like weeds in most soils, provided they get lots of sunshine and water. I love them...my biggest problem is that the deer do too. They ate my entire crop (a 24X4 raised bed) year before last. I use deer repellent now. I never used mulch, though, but I don't see why leaves wouldn't work. Dry leaves will absorb some Nitrogen as they decompose, but I say try it. I usually put a couple gallons of fireplace ashes in the bed in the Spring, and that would neutralize some acid.

I use Cotton Seed Hulls on my tomatoes for mulch, and they work great. They do contain some nitrogen, but as far as tomatoes go, I always mix 1 cup of blood meal and 1 cup of bone meal in the bottom of the hole when I plant them, so I never worry about too much fertilizer or being Calcium deficient, i.e., "Blossom end Rot".

 

[RSKY]

I think you are 100% correct. Purple Hull peas grow like weeds in most soils, provided they get lots of sunshine and water. I love them...my biggest problem is that the deer do too. They ate my entire crop (a 24X4 raised bed) year before last. I use deer repellent now. I never used mulch, though, but I don't see why leaves wouldn't work. Dry leaves will absorb some Nitrogen as they decompose, but I say try it. I usually put a couple gallons of fireplace ashes in the bed in the Spring, and that would neutralize some acid.

I use Cotton Seed Hulls on my tomatoes for mulch, and they work great. They do contain some nitrogen, but as far as tomatoes go, I always mix 1 cup of blood meal and 1 cup of bone meal in the bottom of the hole when I plant them, so I never worry about too much fertilizer or being Calcium deficient, i.e., "Blossom end Rot".

About four or five years ago I had a huge crop of purple hulls at my mother's farm. I believe it was nine sixty foot rows. The idea was to grow enough for three families and two singles (FIL and mother) and not have to grow them for a couple years. We picked green beans on a Monday and the pea vines were hanging full. Drove back over Wednesday and got enough for one small pan that night. By the tracks it looked like an entire deer herd had walked down the rows having a feast. Next year I had two electric fences and other things to keep them out but the deer still got them. Moved the parch to my daughter's place and the dog kept the deer out.

I am going to give the leaves a try this year. All that will be in the ground are the peas. Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and okra will be in buckets........ Haven't I already put that on here?

Anyway, gonna give it a try.

RSKY