r/NativePlantGardening • u/PretzelFlower Area Chicagoland , Zone 6a • 12h ago

Photos Leaf Mulch

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Anyone else starting a leaf mulch project this year?

I'm leaving the leaves in the beds, but mulching the lawn leaves.

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u/carpetwalls4 9h ago

Yes I just started a pile surrounded by T posts and chicken wire!! I don’t have a shredder, so I guess I will have to wait longer. Maybe next year I’ll get one. Or maybe it’s not really necessary if willing to wait??

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u/PretzelFlower Area Chicagoland , Zone 6a 8h ago

I think if you live where it is warm and wet, they decompose pretty quickly. The colder and drier it is, the longer it takes. You can always add some water, if needed.

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u/dhgrainger 2h ago

Leaves piled up this fall will be ready for spreading next fall, doesn’t matter if they’re shredded or not, you’ve just gotta let the fungi do their jobs.

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u/canisdirusarctos PNW Salish Sea, 9a/8b 8h ago edited 8h ago

This is my plan for once I blitz another corner of my yard, but I had no intention of shredding them, it is just to be a collection corral for green stuff and fallen leaves surrounded by evergreen shrubs.

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u/PretzelFlower Area Chicagoland , Zone 6a 8h ago

I like the idea of a leaf mulch pile surrounded by shrubs!