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11-11-2004, 01:32 PM

(Will Renkel) wrote in message ...
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.

Condisider that when you mow leaves you get about a 10:1 volume
reduction or better, and when those leaves decompose you see about
another 4:1 reduction.
It probably does not hurt to pile the leaves on the dripline of trees.
I would pull them back a foot or more from the actual trunk lest you
make a place for rot and fungi to develop and aplace for mice and
voles to gnaw undetected.

Note I said mowed leaves as the shredded ones don't seem to mat into a
slimy mass.