Last years leaves

SueCT · March 29, 2016

I have a 96 gallon recycle bin filled with mostly Maple and Ash tree leaves that I picked up last fall and did not get picked up by the town before they stopped doing collections for the winter. Any reason I shouldn't add them directly to the veggie garden and till them in a little before planting this year or would they have to be composted first? They are already at least partially shredded since I bagged them with the riding mower and then dumped them into the recycle bin. I don't have a compost pile/bin, but they are starting yard waste pick up again for the season this Friday, so all I have to do is wheel it to the curb if I am not going to use it. My garden already tends to be high in organic matter, and surprisingly, alkaline according to a soil test a few years ago. Not sure you can have too much organic matter, but if it would acidify the soil at all, that would be nice. If I use it should I add some nitrogen, too? My garden tends to be high in most nutrients from having large amounts of compost added in the past, but maybe there are mostly nitrogen fertilizers out there I could find if I need to. Do I need a new soil test before using them or is this a "no brainer" that can only help and I can just throw them in and then go over them with the Mantis?

March 29, 2016	#1
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	Last years leaves I have a 96 gallon recycle bin filled with mostly Maple and Ash tree leaves that I picked up last fall and did not get picked up by the town before they stopped doing collections for the winter. Any reason I shouldn't add them directly to the veggie garden and till them in a little before planting this year or would they have to be composted first? They are already at least partially shredded since I bagged them with the riding mower and then dumped them into the recycle bin. I don't have a compost pile/bin, but they are starting yard waste pick up again for the season this Friday, so all I have to do is wheel it to the curb if I am not going to use it. My garden already tends to be high in organic matter, and surprisingly, alkaline according to a soil test a few years ago. Not sure you can have too much organic matter, but if it would acidify the soil at all, that would be nice. If I use it should I add some nitrogen, too? My garden tends to be high in most nutrients from having large amounts of compost added in the past, but maybe there are mostly nitrogen fertilizers out there I could find if I need to. Do I need a new soil test before using them or is this a "no brainer" that can only help and I can just throw them in and then go over them with the Mantis?