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I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Ok, what are your opinions?

I have gathered some impressive piles of leaves. I put some
bone meal on them for nitrogen, and topped them off with
some straw, all set to make compost. But, I have the urge
to get on the tractor and just till them all in...

11/12/2004 7:34:16 PM

Bristol, ME ([email protected])

For what it's worth, I shredded 16 truckloads with a mulching mower, then tilled into my 3 patches of 600 sq. ft. each. Although it sounds like alot of leaves, it was really only a couple inches deep after the mower was done with them. I've been adding similar amounts for 3 yrs and have not found evidence of any leaf material in the spring.
I also add about 4 truckloads of manure and this year I put in 10 yds of commercial compost with it all.

In any case, I would chop the leaves and till them in.
Just my 2 wooden dimes....

11/12/2004 7:46:09 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Cliff, I would also add some green stuff too and molasses to feed those little microbal trilobites.

11/12/2004 8:08:57 PM

[email protected]

The Bobemeal will deliver Phosphorus. Tru Bloodmeal or some other form of Nitrogen like grass clippings of composting.

I'm with Bill on this though. Till them in. Worms & bacteria will reduce them to almost nothing by spring.

11/12/2004 8:33:43 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

For the last four years I've been shredding all the leaves in the fall, letting them sit all winter in a pile away from the patch, and then using them as a mulch cover over the entire patch(only 1200 sq ft) It comes out to about a four to six inch weed blocking cover that eliminates 99% of the weeding chores and keeps the soil moist. Just an alternative strategy. Best wishes,
Duff

11/12/2004 8:46:19 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Whoops, I meant blood meal. I was adding nitrogen...

11/12/2004 8:51:10 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

I would love to add green material... but there is none
this time of year. I could add *some* manure...

11/12/2004 8:52:07 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

Cliff,
I'm lazy I put them on in the fall and then till them in come spring. I would suspect that it is probably better to run them through a nice hot compost pile but this is difficult around here as it will freeze solid in less then a month.

11/12/2004 11:15:46 PM

Ohio

Will your compost pile cook faster if you cover it with a tarp?

11/13/2004 5:05:55 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I wouldn't cover it...it needs the oxygen....

11/13/2004 5:49:08 AM

Roanoke Il

You don't want to till them in this time of year so compst them wait until may to till them in. if you till them in know say good bye to most of the worms in your patch you most likely killed them off.tilling is proably one of the worse thinks to do when the temps are low. steve is right add grass clippins bone meal blood meal to help break the leaves down,

11/13/2004 6:37:30 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Brooks , keep it open ..your about to get a winter's worth of nitrogen snowed onto your piles...

11/13/2004 7:53:13 AM

Hamilton, MT

Along this same thread...
Regarding Tilling -
What are the rules of thumb as far as how many times is good or too much?
How does differing temperatures factor in?
At what point does tilling adversly affect the soil structure?
Is it ok to treat my patch like a big compost area and till it periodically to mix in newly added layers and oxygen?
Thanks for all your replies!
Kim

11/13/2004 6:04:29 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

In general tilling is bad for soil organims, tilth, and it increases the rate of decomposition of your organic matter. With that being said it has to be done. I would do it as little as possible. I do it once a year as I am doing spring patch prep.

11/13/2004 7:54:30 PM

Puyallup, WA

I till twice a year. Once, just before the hoop houses go up, then again just after they come down, about June 16th.
In the Fall and Spring, I disk the patch.....not so hard on the worms. Worms are our friends!

11/13/2004 9:23:25 PM

Roanoke Il

If you have time on your hands and a strong back there would be no need to till, doulbe digging and brad forking or pitch forking would be the best for ones soil. Layering and 2-3 iches of good compost every year. one would see the result with plant health bigger pumpkins ect.

11/14/2004 8:41:24 AM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Just for the record I don't till either... I use a harrow
pulled behhind the tractor. Right now the ground 4-6 inches
down is practically concrete...

11/14/2004 5:25:28 PM

Puyallup, WA

Cliff,
Pumpkin roots go down at least 12-14". I would use a sub-soiler to break up your hardpan....just a thought.

11/15/2004 1:07:58 AM

Ljubljana, Slovenia

I spread the leaves on the top of my patch and till them in the spring. By the time that the plant takes off in July the leaves are almost fully degraded.
One disadvantage of this approach may be that the soil does not freeze deep. Freezing is good as a lot of pathogens are killed. Beneficial organisms may be reduced in numbers as well but they grow again in the spring.
Btw Stan, nor all warms are our friends. At least most of the true worms (nematodes) are not. The “big red ones” are beneficial but they are not nematodes. Jernej

11/15/2004 1:23:47 AM

Puyallup, WA

I never met a worm I didn't like! ;>)

11/15/2004 9:48:37 PM