Frugal mulch in the garden and flower beds.

[Curmudgeoness]

Do you have any methods for mulch that do not require buying that fancy mulch at the garden center?

Well, I do. And not only is it a good mulch, it is also good fertilizer and soil conditioner.

I am fortunate to have a lot of trees. Huges trees. With LOTS of leaves. And shredded leaves make a great mulch, and unless you get close and look, you will not notice it is not ground up trees. If I am lucky, I can shred the leaves with my lawn mower before the weather is bad---they have to be dry, so the weather must cooperate. After I shred them, I gather them (also with my mower) and put them in the beds. I hate those years when the weather suck, because I have to gather them with a rake, bag them, and wait until spring to throw them back out of the bags and shred them. Why are all my frugal methods so much more labor intensive???? But then again, who needs to join a gym!

[BlueToTheBone]

1. I'm eyeing those great big piles of leaves that will clog

the ditches and have great plans for them. I saw some bags of other people's leaves, but I was concerned that their stuff had microbes that didn't belong in my organic garden. Off to collect my own before the rains send debris down the road and cut rivers across, creating new ruts. I get to be a gardener and a road maintainer in the same act. good job, that!

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Everything should do double duty, I suppose.

Even us. Sounds like you will be making the neighborhood a better place, and that is what life is all about. I think.

And if the leaves that other people have gathered are from big trees, I doubt that they were able to get chemicals on them. What microbes do you think would be on them? I am lucky that no one in the neighborhood uses chemicals, but I know my trees would be safe nonetheless.

[BlueToTheBone]

4. There are a lot of black walnut trees in town and the

tannin in the hulls of the nuts might be overwhelming to the seedlings. But maybe I'm being paranoid...I have trouble making myself take showers in hotel bathrooms too.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I do not know about black walnut trees, but

my trees are almost all Pin Oaks. Oaks also have a lot of tannin, and it is my understanding that the oak leaves are especially good for gardens. I have lots of worms, as well as lacewings and praying mantises, so it seems that the leaves do not kill beneficial insects. I would guess it would be the same for microbes. But then again, I don't use the acorns in mulch, so would not thing you would use the black walnuts either.

And, ewwww, I do not want to run into you by the end of the week you are on vacation!

[JDPriestly]

3. I have several avocado trees. They shed leaves in abundance.

I have read that avocado trees like the mulch from their own leaves, so I just leave the leaves on the ground.

In fact, here in California, where drought is a serious problem, I generally don't rake leaves unless they are creating a big mess. We need the natural mulch.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that all trees like mulch from their own leaves.

That would make sense, since without us humans cleaning everything up, they would always be there.