can I use partially composted leaves as a mulch for flower beds ?

[sunnyhills]

I have one bed where the soil desperately needs improving . It is clay and is busy baking hard in the sun .

I have several black bin bags of leaves in various stages of decomposition ( have only just read that best to shred first and that adding grass clippings and a little soil can help process ) and wondering if I could use them as a mulch ?

Am a bit confused about them robbing soil of nitrogen as they break down ?

I also have straw and some grass clippings .

How do these ( leaves ,grass clippings .straw ) compare to bark as a mulch ?

I'm aiming at conserving water ( immediately ) and improving soil ( long term ) .

Any advice gratefully received .

Yes you can. They won't strip nitrgoen out of the soil if they are laid on the top of the soil, only if they are dug in.

I use wood chip, grass cuttings, garden trimmings and prunings [when I weed I throw it onto the grass path and mow the lot and put it all on the soil as a mulch]. You can use straw, again I mow it.

If I were you I'd put the leaves down, then mow the straw [just separate it out and spread it over some lawn that needs a mow], and spread that on top, and from then on, I'd just put all my grass mowings on top. Keep mulching, and the worms will soon flock to the mulch and take it down into the soil for you.

I thnk you are supposed to water the soil first so the mulch locks the moisture in.

I use grass clippings a lot as mulch. Also seaweed - but that's on an allotment far from home - it would be a bit smelly in the garden...

Brilliant ,thank you both so much .

Mow the straw ! Excellent ,not thought of that .

Operation mulch when sun has gone down .I'm completely melted here .

sunny can I ask about your bags of leaves - did you just collect the leaves at Autumn and leave them to it in the bags? We get a carpet of leaves in the garden from the trees and I'd like to make use of them when they drop this year!

You can collect and leave in an out of the way place in bin bags with holes in the bottom, or put a wire cage together, canes and chicken wire, and leave to rot.

Takes a year to two years to get crumbly loveliness to put on as soil improver. If you have large borders you don't dig much you could put straight on those as a mulch.

When I say straight on as mulch I mean sweep up and put straight down. Don't do it where you need to dig though as the leaves are a pain to dig through before they rot down

www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/how-to-make-leaf-mould/

I use my leaf mould to sow seeds in.

I've just sent that link to DP in the hope he will find somewhere to build a cage like that. Thank you.

I've just been putting the leaves in bin bags . But I'd like it if they decomposed more quickly so I'm going to try the shredding by mowing tip .

I think adding grass clippings helps as well ?

No, not grass clippings in leaf mould. That will start them composting and it is not composting.

Whoops ,no grass clippings .

I did watch the GW video posted ( thank you ) and it did stress that it was mainly a fungal process .

I've sprayed my leaves in bin bags today - some where dry .

Thanks for your help AT .

AT killing my bizzie lizzies has knocked my confidence ,I think I try too hard ( overwatered the b l ) and now I'm worrying that I've been overgenerous with the mulch and made it too thick .

That plus the fact that the leaves were still a bit ,um ,leathery and mowing the straw didn't work makes me anxious that it will be hard to get water through it to the soil .

Which is depressing as it was hard work and I don't have the best energy levels !

The mulch can't be too thick. Stop worrying. The soil dries out because there is nothing there to stop the evaporation. In a few weeks it will be damp under there, after it has rained a few times. Chill.

Thank you AT .That's good to read

When I went down there this evening it was all damp ,I was surprised after such a hot day .

Though some animal has been digging in it and spreading it around a little.

Thanks again for advice and reassurance .