Hi i just put a vegatable patch in my garden but weeping williow leaves keep going on to it will this stop the vegatable from growing
thanks for any replys
Won't do any harm as long as its not a thick mat of them. However, if your patch is shaded by the tree that might make it unsuitable for some sun loving crops (but good for shade loving htings like Rocket, Spinach, Lettuce, etc).
Quote from: GodfreyRob on May 09, 2010, 12:41:14
Won't do any harm as long as its not a thick mat of them. However, if your patch is shaded by the tree that might make it unsuitable for some sun loving crops (but good for shade loving htings like Rocket, Spinach, Lettuce, etc).
what can i just softly rake of the leaves.and there alot of sun getting to it
Leaves are positively beneficial as they rot down and increase the humus. The only problems are from the tree itself if it casts a shadow, or indeed rain shadow. Willows, and weeping willows especialy, also have an enormous root system and suck up enormous amounts of water so that's likely to be an issue. But leaves falling on the soil, not a problem.
Don't rake them up, the leaves will act as mulch helping to retain moisture in the ground & as they break down they will increase the humus content & the microbial activity in the soil.
I find I can put 3-4 inches of fresh autumn leaves onto where I've planted garlic or ovewrwintering onions and they grow straight up through it. Obviously seeds won't be able to do that. wrong this year was to use half-rotted leaves from last autumn to mulch spring planted onions. Normally I use grass cuttings, but I didn't have any. It's too stodgy, and I'm now having to take it all off to rescue onions which can't get through it!
I would have thought the presence of a willow rather than its leaves would be the issue.... They're very dense canopies once they get gowing (less so on a well maintained coppice) but I think the water consumption of taht massive, rather shallow root system will be an issue unless you're right on a stream or river.... uinless it s to the north of the plot..... I've used composted willow when we had to restore a coppiced tree to sanity once at my folks place. We cut down all the bits that had to come off to make it safe (most of the top growth above the old coppice ring), shredded everything that would go through the shredder, peeled the bark off the logs that were too big (and shredded the bark, then sat the whole pile of shreddings in a 2m x 1m x 1m composting unit made out of old pallets for a year with a box of garotta sprinkled through it and well watered and turned a couple of times..... went oin the veg patch 18 months later and I had some of the best onions I've ever grown off it that year.......
chrisc