I agree with most comment about negatives of piling leaves around
trees. My solution
is to make lots of mulch and distribute that around the trees, being
careful
to leave a gap close to the trunk. Mulch has the advantage over leaves
in that it will
stay in place. I mentioned in a similar reply about putting leaves on
top of the garden
that as they decompose, they may draw nitrogen from the surrounding
soil. Mulch
is also a better insulator than dry leaves and provides a better
'blanket' to protect the
trees from wide temperature swings in Winter. If one does not have the
time or
inclination to make mulch, the next best thing would be to run the
leaves through a
lawn mower to chop them up. That would somewhat control the matting
tendency
of whole leaves and possibly make for a better insulator. However,
without the
benefit of mixing green and brown material, the decomposition of the
leaves would
be very slow, possibly requiring a big cleanup the following spring.
Another technique
would be to create a ring around the base of the tree, where no grass is
grown. This
would require maintenance to keep the weeds and neighboring grass
encroaching
into it. It probably is healthier for the tree, as the grass growing
close to the trunk is
taking energy away from the tree. Also, adding things like fertilizer,
sand,
mulch, etc. is easier to do with such a ring. This active maintenance
is more important
for younger trees, or fruit trees where energy is removed by picking the
fruit.

Sherwin D.

Will Renkel wrote:

I have several neighbors who are piling their leaves around
the base of their trees. The piles are about 2 feet high
and about 4-5 feet out from the base of the tree.
Can someone enlighten me on the pros / cons of such a process?
I would think it could kill the grass.

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Will Renkel
Wheaton, Ill.
REGISTERD Linux User: 300583

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