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#1
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Jim" wrote in message link.net... There's usually no problem mulching leaves or other plant material. As long as its mulched fine enough to breakdown quickly. Avoid mulching during wet or damp conditions. That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. Do you cover your compost pile to keep it dry ? A dry pile of mulched leaves will take a long time to cook - a wet pile will produce heat in 48 hours. |
#2
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
Srgnt Billko wrote:
That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. The key here is you kept the _output_ wet. If the leaves are wet before you try to shred them, they don't shread as well. Also, whether or not it's suitable to just shred and leave them on the lawn depends on how many of them there are. I vac and shred the leaves from my biggest tree, and they produce a pile of shredded leaves that's 10'x10', and about 9" deep. The area that they fall in is about three times that area, but that would still mean I'd have a 3" layer of shredded leaves covering that part of my lawn. If all I did was run the mulching mower over them, by the mid-point of leaf season I wouldn't have the strength to push the mower through the remains, and it would probably stall-out, anyway. On the other hand, in my back yard I have a lot of smaller trees, and it does just fine with the mulching mower. Now if someone thinks I'm exaggerating, next fall they're welcome to come over and demonstrate how a mulching mower would be enough on my front lawn, as long as they're willing to post a bond large enough for me to have the damage repaired in the spring. -- 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. This fall, vacuum up your leaves instead of raking: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blac...r/blowers.html |
#3
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Warren" wrote:
Srgnt Billko wrote: That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. The key here is you kept the _output_ wet. If the leaves are wet before you try to shred them, they don't shread as well. Also, whether or not it's suitable to just shred and leave them on the lawn depends on how many of them there are. I vac and shred the leaves from my biggest tree, and they produce a pile of shredded leaves that's 10'x10', and about 9" deep. The area that they fall in is about three times that area, but that would still mean I'd have a 3" layer of shredded leaves covering that part of my lawn. If all I did was run the mulching mower over them, by the mid-point of leaf season I wouldn't have the strength to push the mower through the remains, and it would probably stall-out, anyway. On the other hand, in my back yard I have a lot of smaller trees, and it does just fine with the mulching mower. Now if someone thinks I'm exaggerating, next fall they're welcome to come over and demonstrate how a mulching mower would be enough on my front lawn, as long as they're willing to post a bond large enough for me to have the damage repaired in the spring. Hi Warren. I have 14 big tree canopy's over my immediate lawn, there's no flippin' way I could consider mulching all those leaves where they fall down. It would destroy the turf in one season. These general questions are tough to answer with one size fits all. |
#4
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
Steveo wrote:
"Warren" wrote: Srgnt Billko wrote: That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. The key here is you kept the _output_ wet. If the leaves are wet before you try to shred them, they don't shread as well. Also, whether or not it's suitable to just shred and leave them on the lawn depends on how many of them there are. I vac and shred the leaves from my biggest tree, and they produce a pile of shredded leaves that's 10'x10', and about 9" deep. The area that they fall in is about three times that area, but that would still mean I'd have a 3" layer of shredded leaves covering that part of my lawn. If all I did was run the mulching mower over them, by the mid-point of leaf season I wouldn't have the strength to push the mower through the remains, and it would probably stall-out, anyway. On the other hand, in my back yard I have a lot of smaller trees, and it does just fine with the mulching mower. Now if someone thinks I'm exaggerating, next fall they're welcome to come over and demonstrate how a mulching mower would be enough on my front lawn, as long as they're willing to post a bond large enough for me to have the damage repaired in the spring. Hi Warren. I have 14 big tree canopy's over my immediate lawn, there's no flippin' way I could consider mulching all those leaves where they fall down. It would destroy the turf in one season. These general questions are tough to answer with one size fits all. How do you even get a lawn to grow with that much shade? -- Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington USDA Zone 8 Sunset Zone 5 |
#5
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Travis M." wrote:
Steveo wrote: "Warren" wrote: Srgnt Billko wrote: That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. The key here is you kept the _output_ wet. If the leaves are wet before you try to shred them, they don't shread as well. Also, whether or not it's suitable to just shred and leave them on the lawn depends on how many of them there are. I vac and shred the leaves from my biggest tree, and they produce a pile of shredded leaves that's 10'x10', and about 9" deep. The area that they fall in is about three times that area, but that would still mean I'd have a 3" layer of shredded leaves covering that part of my lawn. If all I did was run the mulching mower over them, by the mid-point of leaf season I wouldn't have the strength to push the mower through the remains, and it would probably stall-out, anyway. On the other hand, in my back yard I have a lot of smaller trees, and it does just fine with the mulching mower. Now if someone thinks I'm exaggerating, next fall they're welcome to come over and demonstrate how a mulching mower would be enough on my front lawn, as long as they're willing to post a bond large enough for me to have the damage repaired in the spring. Hi Warren. I have 14 big tree canopy's over my immediate lawn, there's no flippin' way I could consider mulching all those leaves where they fall down. It would destroy the turf in one season. These general questions are tough to answer with one size fits all. How do you even get a lawn to grow with that much shade? Lawn grows well, it's a big lawn so the shade is not as bad as it sounds, and it has automatic irrigation. The leaves -alone- would ruin it if I attempted to mulch all of them back in. YMMV |
#6
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Srgnt Billko" wrote in message
... "Jim" wrote in message link.net... There's usually no problem mulching leaves or other plant material. As long as its mulched fine enough to breakdown quickly. Avoid mulching during wet or damp conditions. That caught my attention. Why avoid mulching while wet ? They break down quicker when wet. When I used to use a shredder I kept a hose going continuously on the output. Do you cover your compost pile to keep it dry ? A dry pile of mulched leaves will take a long time to cook - a wet pile will produce heat in 48 hours. I think that the main reason for not mowing up leaves when wet is that they just lay there all wet all uncooperatively and do not pick up and be cut up and mulched or thrown around. Lazy wet leaves.... I try to double cut them by sending them inside my circle of cut and then once in a while turning around and sending them outward. Seems to work OK that way. I do this when it is dry. Tomes |
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