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11-05-2003, 12:56 AM

writes:

I have a lot of trees. Those trees have alot of leaves.. I am
fortunate to live in a town that not only allows, but encourages leaf
burning. My question is this.. does the ash left from the leaves
have any value in the garden? I know too many leaves can cause the
ground to become acidic, but what about the ash left from burning
them? Is it possible to put too much on?

Yes, it's possible to put on too much ash. Wood ashes add potassium
and raise the pH of soil, so I'm guessing leaf ashes would have a
similar effect. I believe the recommended amount I've seen for wood
ashes is 5-10 pounds per 100 square feet, but you should check that.
You'd also want to till them into the soil a while before planting
anything, as pure ashes would burn most plants or seedlings.

My preference would be to compost the leaves, mulch with them, or just
till them under as-is. They'll help to aerate the soil that way;
they'll have at least as much fertilizer value; and it's just about
impossible to use too many.

--
Aaron