what to do w/ so many fallen leaves??

[mikbik]

got native mango trees and india trees and some bad dried grass what should I do with them??

we usually gather and burn them. But I know it can be used as a fertilizer

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sure Mikbik. Check out some of the Composting threads in the Organic forum to learn how to turn garden trash into garden gold...

[Grey]

Hey mikbik - just mow them over and toss them into a heap! Add some kitchen scraps, turn the pile once in a while, by Spring you should have some good soil there.

[opabinia51]

Yes, burning them releases all the carbon as Carbon Dioxide and all the Nitrogen as Nitrogen gas. Not a good thing. If you just go over them with your mower and lay the mulched leaves/grass clippings over your beds, by the spring it will have composted into incredibly nutrients rich soil. (The grass clippings will provide nitrogen that the bacteria, fungi and worms will eat while decomposing your leaves).

[mikbik]

what if I just pile them up around my plants and throw in some kitchen stuffs in there would it still ok?

someone told me that instead of burning them I could gather them and pile them up around the plants and tress and let them compost around them? is this ok?

[The Helpful Gardener]

No you need to turn compost to make sure it stays fresh. Your way stands as much chance of starting bad fungus as good fungus and I wouldn't recommend doing it that way; it's risky...

HG

[mikbik]

do I have to put some soil on it and water it also??

[Grey]

what if I just pile them up around my plants and throw in some kitchen stuffs in there would it still ok?

someone told me that instead of burning them I could gather them and pile them up around the plants and tress and let them compost around them? is this ok?

I wouldn't try to make compost all around my plants, and kitchen scraps are slightly on the unsightly side. I also agree with Scott, you could start some bad fungus going that way.

However, in FL I had so many water oak leaves (the tiny ones) that I just used them as mulch, about 6" high, around my established plants. If you have oak leaves, do not put them around younger plants, herbs, etc. as oak leaves are alleopathic and will prevent these young tender plants from growing. I used them around trees and longtime shrubs with no problems, however.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Thanks Grey. Your experiences in FLorida are probably much closer to Mikbik's experiences in the P.I. than anything I have done...

Scott

[mikbik]

does kitchen scraps includes food leftovers?? can I include it on my compost?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yes, definitely. No meat and no fat, but almost anything else is fair game...