7 comments


  • Ruth Bernstein

    I live in a detatched townhouse and have all of the area planted with Iris, Daylillies, Hosta, Peonys, Giant Seedum, and a few Evergreens, Lillies, Chives, Raspberries, and many more that don’t have names (that I remember). In the fall I spend many, many hours cutting these plants down. Is there anything I can do with the leaves (many still green)? The association takes care of the grass and trees/leaves. And, I don’t have a lawn mower.
    In fact, I have been trying to give away a lot of plants. Are you interested?

    October 16, 2012
    • Meleah

      Hi Ruth,
      I know how hard it is to put all of those cuttings in bags at the curb when you know they could be put to better use. I actually bought a shredder this year, so I’m putting all of my plant cuttings, including all of the stuff that’s still green, through that. I was shocked to see that an entire bag of green stems and leaves could be reduced to dust, which I’m mixing in with my compost and mulched leaves to spread over the gardens before the ground freezes. Without a shredder or compost pile, which I imagine you don’t have there, I guess bagging them up will have to do. The good thing is they will likely be composted at a local facility rather than winding up in a landfill. Thanks very much for the offer of plants. I’m too lazy to plant anything more this fall, but if you’re giving away plants next season, please let me know. m

      October 19, 2012
  • Thanks for tip mowing tip, I have no lawn to mow. I just bag the leafs in Black plastic bags use that as a down comforter. Takes a lot longer to break down. I pile them next to the garage, let gravity work with me. I add Pete moss. Is there anything else I could add?

    October 19, 2012
    • Meleah

      Hi Brian,
      Thanks very much for your note. When you say you add peat moss, what are you adding it too? It sounds like you’re using the bags to protect plants in your garden, but I can’t tell for sure if that’s the case or if you’re just leaving them in the bags to break down so you can use the decomposed leaves as mulch. Is that the case? And, if so, are you adding peat moss to the decayed leaves and then using them in the garden? If that is what you’re doing, you don’t even need the peat. Leaf mulch is great for helping build soil nutrients and improve soil quality in general. Instead of peat, if you do want to add something, I would add some compost. If I’ve totally botched the answer to your question, let me know and I’ll try again. 🙂

      October 26, 2012
  • Maria Herrera

    Thanks so much for that infomation you give, I don’t know much about gardening, but my husband need to eat only organic food and is very expensive daes wy trait to make my own garden in my garage , if you have some advice I will appreciate so much again thank you so much

    August 18, 2016
  • Carol Beste

    Have you used a shredder to shred your oak leaves? or have you discovered that a lawn mower works better for that job. We have used cedar chips as mulch in our gardens; will shredded oak and elm leaves be able to improve our soil if we layer them atop the mulch?
    Thank you.

    September 20, 2017
    • Meleah

      Hi Carol,
      I just drive over the leaves with our lawn mover. It’s a push mower so I have to go back and forth several times, but it works really well.
      m

      October 03, 2017

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