pointer80
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Location: northern Michigan

using oak leaves in compost?

Hello all, Well here in my neck of the woods the leaves are starting to drop even though we just had a week of 90 degree temps, I have some maple trees but a lot more red and white oak then anything. I have heard different stories about using oak leaves in the compost pile. Some people have told me they are too acidic? I have a big circle of cattle fence and I am going to shred the leaves and dump them in there and use some as mulch next year and the bottom layer as leaf mold hopefully. Any thoughts on this? Thanks all.

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pinksand
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I've always used oak leaves in my compost, but then again my soil is already acidic so most of my plants are acid lovers anyway and don't seem to mind.

PaulF
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We have two 100 year old Burr Oaks in our yard and the leaves get run through a shredder and mixed into the compost pile. They make excellent compost. Others like leaf mold but that is something I have not tried. While oak leaves are slightly acidic, an oak leaf mulch should have little effect on the soil pH. Shredded leaves are an excellent mulch for vegetable gardens, raspberry plantings, perennial flower beds and around trees and shrubs.

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rainbowgardener
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But you notice the people who talked about using oak leaves, talked about shredding them. Without that, oak leaves are pretty tough. They will break down eventually, but pretty slowly. If you don't mind letting your pile of oak leaves sit for a couple years, it will be OK.

toxcrusadr
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Oak leaves are not all that acidic in the first place. But even if they were, nature drops them all over the place, so how does that not mess up the soil pH? It doesn't though.

The acids in leaves (and any organic matter) are organic acids (similar to the acids in vinegar or lemon juice, for example). This means they will biodegrade in the compost pile.

Composting tends to bring various input materials toward a neutral end product.

I use plenty of oak leaves as browns in compost or by themselves in a leaf mould pile. They work just fine.

pointer80
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Location: northern Michigan

Thanks everyone, I bag up my leaves with my riding mower and that shreds them in the process so that should help.



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