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About Mack Jean
Expertise
Master Gardener

Experience
Certified Master Gardener (University of Georgia, 1987: Raised Bed Gardens, Container Gardening, French Intensive Gardening Method, Organic Gardening Methods, Vegetables, Fruits, Composting, Herbs, Roses, Lawns, Flowering Shrubs

You are here: Experts > Food/Drink > Vegetarian Cuisine > Organic Gardens > Mulching over fallen leaves

Organic Gardens - Mulching over fallen leaves

Expert: Mack Jean - 10/24/2009

Question
Mack:
I have large areas of plants and shrubs. Over the years I have used a mulch which has been treated with iron oxide. This year I used a cedar mulch. But the cost of mulching each year and the amount of work required to mulch large areas, is not winning the war against excessive weeds. My question is this: is it desirable to spread a layer of mulch (of any variety) over the leaves that have fallen in the garden areas. It seems to make sense to me. The leaves would act as a barrier to weed germination and the layer of mulch over the leaves would add beauty. Would you recommend that strategy.
Thanks for volunteering.

Answer
Dear Nicholas:

An excellent dual action approach and an ideal soil additive!! For landscape applications it is best to chop up the leaves with your lawnmower, then apply. Great in vegetable, flower gardens. It takes a long time to break down. When it has finished breaking down, leaf mold is one of the richest soil suppliers of nutrients and micro-organisms there is! The leaves of most trees can contain twice as many minerals as manure. The mineral content of a sugar maple leaf is over 5%, while even common pine needles have 2.5% of their weight in calcium, magnesium, nitrogen and phosphorus, plus other trace elements.

For landscaping applications you may want to consider landscape fabric for the bottom layer to give added protection from weed germination.

Sincerely,

Mack Jean
AllExperts
Master Gardener
Tennessee

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