Leaves

[Lamplight]

My Allotment is very heavy clay and I try to get as much humus in it as I can.  however leaves take a long while to rot so I have started to dig them in directly.  Over the past three years they seem to be conditioning the soil realy well, I have been advised against this practice as apparently some chemical reaction takes place while the leaves are rotting.  Any views would be welcome as I want to know if it is OK to keep applying the leaves directly.  Cheers

[Lamplight]

[markymark]

Hi Lamplight

Leaves sound okay to me, although if you can get your hands on it (not literally!) some good old Farm Yard Manure would improve the structure no end.

In my last garden it was so clayey (if there is such a word?) it also benefited from some coarse grit for a bit of drainage. If you can get it right, clay soil can be fab.

Good luck :)

[Mrs Ava]

I thought the reason you don't add things like leaves directly to the soil before they have rotted down is because of the nitrogen they use to break down......they take before they give it back.....  ???  However, forest floors are lush and there is nobody there to rake up the leaves there.  I have left leaves on my flower beds in my garden this year, and I have forked a fair few in on the allotment.  Now we are going to be told that we shouldn't do it  :-/  

[tim]

LL - think you've picked up 'our Dan's' icon?

Not that anyone will will lose sleep = Tim

[The gardener]

A couple of things here;

1) The rotting down process takes 'nitrogen' an essential element for all plant growth...........throw on a composting activator or some lime on to  the leaves and this will help to rot them down faster.

2) The leaves in the forest situation............you will most likely find here the ground will be quite acid, this is the reason I use lime to sweeten the ground up a bit.

3) Don't apply lime at the same time as a fertiliser....the two will react with each other.........this is why I spread  lime (where necesssary) prior to the onset of winter to allow the winterrain/snow to take the lime in the soil.

I then apply my fertiliser a few days before planting out time.

[Muddy_Boots]

At the risk of offending but I hope I don't, there is another way to accelerate composting!  Save your p** and pour it on!  Our waste chemicals would appear to accelerate decomposition!

[budgiebreeder]

Bet that starts the professionals off Muddy

[Muddy_Boots]

Well, as a very frustrated gardner, now with no garden, I have to get a start somewhere!

[gavin]

Professionals?  Bunch of p...-artists!

Aaaah!  They have a use after all!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

All best - Gavin