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.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
Will Renkel
Wheaton, Ill.
REGISTERD Linux User: 300583

---------------------------------------------------------------

Deciduous trees have adapted to dealing with some accumulation of leaves,
and in fact befit form the reduced competition that derives from leaf fall
in forests.

The practice of suffocating the landscape with artificial concentrations of
leaves has ramifications to which native trees are not necessarily adapted:
Increased rot at the root collar; girdling of smaller trees by rodents
living in the warm, decaying piles; anoxia of the soil as the leaves turn to
snotty slime ( in some cases);changes in soil pH not usual for woodland
settings; binding of nitrogen d=from the soil as decay of all the carbon in
the leaves drains local resources, etc.

In short...usually not a good thing. Your neighbors should mimic nature
more. When was the last time you noticed leaves naturally heaping themselves
into volcanoes about trees??

ML

--
Mike LaMana, MS, CTE
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net




"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.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
Will Renkel
Wheaton, Ill.
REGISTERD Linux User: 300583

---------------------------------------------------------------

and this says it best of all. Wise words! In my own woods, the many, many
oak leaves and assorted remaining leaves and pine needles have fallen almost
evenly. The winds that come thru and make little drifts aren't nearly as
imposing to the trees as these volcano's these people are making. First it
was mulch heaped up like a volcano (which our master gardening program
mailed out warnings to enlighten homeowners who didn't know better) and now
LEAVES?? Thanks for the informative and great response.
madgardener who is starting to look for those bags of leaves alongside the
roads now to replenish her two compost piles, up on the ridge, back in Fairy
Holler, overlooking English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7., Sunset
zone 36 where the leaves are almost off all the trees
now..................................

--
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect." Chief Seattle
"Mike LaMana" fake@MikeatHeartwoodConsultingdotnet wrote in message
...
Deciduous trees have adapted to dealing with some accumulation of leaves,
and in fact befit form the reduced competition that derives from leaf fall
in forests.

The practice of suffocating the landscape with artificial concentrations
of
leaves has ramifications to which native trees are not necessarily
adapted:
Increased rot at the root collar; girdling of smaller trees by rodents
living in the warm, decaying piles; anoxia of the soil as the leaves turn
to
snotty slime ( in some cases);changes in soil pH not usual for woodland
settings; binding of nitrogen d=from the soil as decay of all the carbon
in
the leaves drains local resources, etc.

In short...usually not a good thing. Your neighbors should mimic nature
more. When was the last time you noticed leaves naturally heaping
themselves
into volcanoes about trees??

ML

--
Mike LaMana, MS, CTE
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net




"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.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
Will Renkel
Wheaton, Ill.
REGISTERD Linux User: 300583

---------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:31:39 +0000 (UTC), (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.

A thick layer of leaves will weaken or kill the grass. Piling leaves
around the base of a tree is not a good idea because

- tree bark needs to breathe and should not be covered
- encourages rodents/insects to take up residence
- moisture may lead to harmful mold/mildew

Having said that, leaves are nature's winter blanket and as leaves rot
nutrients are returned to the soil. I may pile leaves on a tree or
shrub that needs extra protection, but not an established tree.

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:31:39 +0000 (UTC), (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.

A thick layer of leaves will weaken or kill the grass. Piling leaves
around the base of a tree is not a good idea because

- tree bark needs to breathe and should not be covered
- encourages rodents/insects to take up residence
- moisture may lead to harmful mold/mildew

Having said that, leaves are nature's winter blanket and as leaves rot
nutrients are returned to the soil. I may pile leaves on a tree or
shrub that needs extra protection, but not an established tree.

I always pile leaves in the gardens for wintering. Is that a bad idea, too?

Giselle (I figure it's sort of an effortless mulch/protection until spring)

Volfie wrote:
I always pile leaves in the gardens for wintering. Is that a bad
idea, too?


It depends on what's in the garden, how big the pile is, and what you're
trying to accomplish.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Blatant Plug: Black & Decker Landscaping Tools & Parts:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blackanddecker

Our local park has pecan trees growing in topsoil-depleted, compacted,
limestone rock and sand, high PH. The trees apparently survived by a
sprinkler system, that became defunct years ago. Rain runs off before much
soaks into the well draining "soil". The trees are suffering with more ends
of their limbs dying off each year.

Here's what we did. We ringed the trunk with fence to protect the root
flare, and added a 18' diameter fence around that. We have about a foot of
slowly composting, damp but not soggy, leaves inside the fence. We're also
covering the rest of the park with composted wood mulch.
The advantages of retaining soil moisture, getting some biota going,
especially worms, and getting organic nutrients into the soil were our
primary goals.
Given your concerns, do any apply to our experiment?

"Mike LaMana" fake@MikeatHeartwoodConsultingdotnet wrote in message
...
Deciduous trees have adapted to dealing with some accumulation of leaves,
and in fact befit form the reduced competition that derives from leaf fall
in forests.

The practice of suffocating the landscape with artificial concentrations
of
leaves has ramifications to which native trees are not necessarily
adapted:
Increased rot at the root collar; girdling of smaller trees by rodents
living in the warm, decaying piles; anoxia of the soil as the leaves turn
to
snotty slime ( in some cases);changes in soil pH not usual for woodland
settings; binding of nitrogen d=from the soil as decay of all the carbon
in
the leaves drains local resources, etc.

In short...usually not a good thing. Your neighbors should mimic nature
more. When was the last time you noticed leaves naturally heaping
themselves
into volcanoes about trees??

ML

--
Mike LaMana, MS, CTE
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net




"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.

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.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
Will Renkel
Wheaton, Ill.
REGISTERD Linux User: 300583

---------------------------------------------------------------

(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.