This year I wanted to try and have a more soil like garden. Caffeine reduces germination rates in many plants by tying up the nitrogen in the soil. For plants that will benefit from the addition of tea, tannins can help to get rid of some pests. ), and spread the rest in my garden. Too much green, the pile gets stinky. My concern is, can too many leaves harm the garden, maybe by changing the pH of the soil? Then work the leaves into the soil, burying them, with a tiller, spade or garden fork. Way too many leaves. A: It's possible to overdo it with mulch or any kind of soil amendment, but you'd really have to pack a lot on year after year. ii) When using oak leaves as mulch it is very important that: (1) The first layer to touch the soil needs to be small particles of FINELY decomposed leaves. Last fall I had the brilliant (or so I thought) idea of putting our fall leaves over the garden to compost over the winter. The same perlite that is found in many potting soils is an excellent addition for raised bed soil. Native top soil contains about 5% organic matter by weight (10% by volume). It keeps the soil from compacting, and allows nutrients and water to flow to the roots of plants. Well it didn't work the way I had hoped. By the spring, the lower part of the leaf pile will be converted into rich soil, while the middle and top layers can be used as mulch or dug into spring garden beds as a soil … Sprinkle tea directly on the soil and leaves of plants that are prone to infestation. We had a wonderful garden last summer and would hate to mess things up! Not too thick or water will not reach the soil. You can compost them and use them as mulch. The title of the paper tells you all you need to know, “Applying spent coffee grounds directly to urban agriculture soils greatly reduces plant growth.” My husband tilled the leaves under and still, way too many. This study , in particular, cracks me up. I have been gardening for a few years but just started seriously working on my soil. (2) The layer above the decomposed layer can be whole leaves – preferred chopped. It ended up being quite a lot of leaves. My bright idea this year was to have the city drop off a truckload of leaves they collected. Answer from NGA December 12, 1997. I bagged some of the leaves (35 bags! 0. As you spread the leaves around your plants and work them into the soil as desired, you will continue to reap their benefits. b) Hay ; i) Breaks down into excellent nutrients. When it gets closer to Spring (and planting time), I will use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil, and mix in the decomposing leaves. An ideal substitute for peat moss, leaf mould does a great job of retaining moisture and suppressing diseases in potting soil mixes, and it dramatically lightens up soil when dug into a garden bed. Too much brown and the temperature needed to cook the compost lowers and the process slows. Compost is a good source of nutrients, and it builds soil structure – both are good for plants. This is true for plant based and manure based compost, but it is worse for manure based compost. But too much compost can be a problem. Nitrogen suppliers include fresh, wet ingredients like your kitchen scraps, grass clippings and tea leaves. Adding your fallen leaves can add beneficial microbes to your soil, and give those handy earthworms a nice treat when they become active in the spring. The best way to add perlite is at planting time, working in a cup or two in the soil around each plant. Pests such as aphids and caterpillars are deterred by the tea’s high acidic content. Tea Adds Nitrogen. Each year use fallen leaves in the garden. How much is too much? The carbon source, aka the browns, includes things like shredded newspaper, paper egg cartons and fall leaves. Can too many study, in particular, cracks me up too much and... 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