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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
Out of convenience, I've wanted to mulch leaves (mostly Maple) into my
lawn with a mulching mower. However, I've heard this might change the soil pH and end up killing the grass. Is mulching safe or is raking the way to go? Chris |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
What is your soil pH now?
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Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
On your lawn mower keep you grass catcher on the back. I never rake
leaves, I always mow them up. It is also better for your compost if the leaves are cut up smaller. So, mow your lawn with the leaves on the grass, then empty them into your compost bin (you do have one don't you--everyone should.) Bye for nowKit |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
Chris Spencer wrote:
Out of convenience, I've wanted to mulch leaves (mostly Maple) into my lawn with a mulching mower. However, I've heard this might change the soil pH and end up killing the grass. Is mulching safe or is raking the way to go? Chris Clean up the leaves, they will smother your lawn. (don't be lazy) :) -- http://NewsReader.Com/ |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
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. Most grasses are resilient to PH changes. If its a problem for you, rake all the leave in one section of the yard. Dump the leaves in another and mulch that entire area. See the results next spring. Then get back with us on the humbug someone told you. -- Jonny "Chris Spencer" wrote in message news:wEokf.1422$xg1.802@trnddc03... Out of convenience, I've wanted to mulch leaves (mostly Maple) into my lawn with a mulching mower. However, I've heard this might change the soil pH and end up killing the grass. Is mulching safe or is raking the way to go? Chris |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
I routinely mow up as many leaves as possible with my mulching mower
instead of removing them by other means. Never had a problem. I check soil PH every few years and haven't seen any diff either. Mulching them that way is conveneient and beneficial to the soil and lawn, as long as you don't mulch too much at one time. |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Jim" wrote:
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. Most grasses are resilient to PH changes. If its a problem for you, rake all the leave in one section of the yard. Dump the leaves in another and mulch that entire area. See the results next spring. Then get back with us on the humbug someone told you. Should I rake these up first, or just mulch them in? http://tinyurl.com/bc96f -- http://NewsReader.Com/ |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Steveo" wrote in message ... Should I rake these up first, or just mulch them in? http://tinyurl.com/bc96f Gee- I would have thought that a University the size of UW would have a groundskeeping department to make all those difficult decisions for you. -- Toni South Florida USA Zone 10b |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
"Toni" wrote:
"Steveo" wrote in message ... Should I rake these up first, or just mulch them in? http://tinyurl.com/bc96f Gee- I would have thought that a University the size of UW would have a groundskeeping department to make all those difficult decisions for you. Is that your advice? |
Mulching Leaves Safe for Soil pH?
you can mow them finely, and they will help grass, as long as the spot
gets sunlight. One foot of dried leaves gives you a few millimeters of leaf mold. |
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. |
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 |
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. |
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 |
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