I’ve been using leaves for over 25 years and it really is transformative. I just can’t convince my neighbors. It seems to be an American habit of wanting the leaves gone in the fall
Right? People here do not get it. At all. I always try to tell them - like, what do you think you are buying in that bag of pine bark or other organic material you can purchase from the store? I mean, don't get me wrong, I buy mulch also in spring, but in fall? No need to.
The easiest way to deal with squash bugs (which I've dealt with several times in my garden) is to look on the bottom of your squash leaves in the early Spring and Summer. The squash bug eggs are little orange eggs about the size of a pen tip. You can just rub/"squash" (I couldn't help myself!) the eggs, and after doing this a few times, you won't have any mature insects develop. Hope this helps! Thanks for another great video!
Thank you Bishop! I actually found a patch of them this Spring. But from what I remember they were on a Tomato plant. I just removed the leaf and discarded. But I will definitely be on the lookout.
You can also take duct tape and roll it backward around your hand and press it to the eggs on the leaves to remove the eggs. That way you don't rip the leaves.
I just finished mulching leaves yesterday. Every year, when the leaves fall off my trees, I cut them up with my lawnmower and I dump the shredded leaves in what used to be a low corner of my yard. Over the last several years, as the mulched leaves have turned to soil, that corner of my yard has risen by about a foot and the grass is growing there just like in the rest of the yard.
As they say : Seeing is believing. The video is proof that utilizing those #@&* leaves instead of bagging them as trash is not only much easier, they will create the ideal, weed free medium for growing food all while becoming super fertile top soil ! Just remember to incorporate all inedible plant material right back into this fall's leaves to further enrich your garden ! Thanks for this great video, too!
Thank you Ted! Just think if people learned that they could have a virtually weed-free garden or flower bed for free. And I'm with you on leaving the plant material right on top of the garden soil.
Thank you so much for great content! Especially appreciated the long term work with results! There is a lot of videos without results. This video is really well done.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Appreciate it! Always thought about the leaves and knew it good but I was wondering how log it takes leaves to decompose and get to the soil. Thank you for that test! You did it! Thanks again!👍🏻
Great video. Check out the Ruth Stout method of gardening if you have time. She was an early pioneer of no dig, no till gardening. She used hay but recommended using whatever natural resource is available to you in your area for mulch. Grass clippings, leaves etc. Important to keep the soil always covered so that weed seeds can not take root. But, if you see a weed - just put some more (hay, leaves, grass clippings, etc.) mulch on top of it to stop photosynthesis. When asked how much mulch is enough, she always answered "more."
Great video! I live on the side of a rock mountain and basically have no soil. I have been working to make soil the last years because I do not want to buy anymore. This last year I found a school that has been piling up their fall leaves in a huge pile for years. The leaf mulch at the bottom of the pile is wonderful and they offerred to deliver their yearly leaves to my house! Wow!
Use leaves as pathways to make them break down faster. It helps when I get 400 bags delivered and space runs out. My pathways ARE my compost piles....You can see them on my channel.
Your video is very interesting. In France we use a simple technique to avoid loosing our crops to bugs or pests... We double or triple the number of vegetables we plant. Part of it will get eaten, but at the end we always harvest something ! Otherwise the presence of bugs like this one may indicate a lack of biodiversity in your neighbourhood, causing some bugs to proliferate with no predator and loads of free food. I know wasps and spiders eat insects similar to your squash bug, and also toads that could be living in a pond nearby. I'm on a very compacted swamp soil in western france, and your video helped me a lot, i will try mulching and no dig method. Bonne chance mon ami !
Thank you Thomas - glad I could help. You may not see it in this video, but my vegetable garden is right next to a 15x2 m wildflower garden, that itself backs up to a forest. I think I have a very diverse area - but who knows. Best of luck to you and your moist soil!
This was my third year of 24" deep raised beds with pure leaf mulch. They are the best three seasons that I have ever had. I still do hydroponics, and containers with leaf mulch, but I no longer till up my large garden. I recently learned that the world record pumpkin growers are using 100% leaf mulch as a growing medium. They are very close to growing a 3000 pound pumpkin, and I understand why after seeing the results in my raised beds.
3000 pounds??? Wow - I am not surprised they used leaf mulch as the medium. My experience has matched yours almost exactly. The biggest and best plants I've ever had are these last couple years of heavy leaf mulching.
People have treated me like a crazy person because I collected my neighbors' leaf bags and used them for mulch and compost. Meanwhile my garden prospered. Just take a look at nature. All that leaf layer in the woods and forests is fertile ground. Walk on it and feel nature's own carpet. Garden centers can't sell it so they advise customers to buy their bagged soil and chemical fertilizers. I am pleased to find your channel. I also like Charles Dowding and his no dig practice. Let's keep carbon in the ground.
Lots of great ‘hands on’ info. Thanks One of the negatives of our new recycling program is that we no longer have a leaf drop off place each Fall. Now organics are recycled in the green bin. I used to go to the drop off and collect dozens of bags of mulched leaves and post Halloween pumpkins. I would mix chopped up pumpkins, leaves and bags of grass and not compost it but rather just spread it all over our flower and vegetable gardens were spectacular results the next growing season. The organics would break down in place.
That is a bummer Tom - but would the next town have the same thing? You may be able to travel to the next city/village and find some leaves bagged up on the curb waiting for you. But I'm with you on the pumpkins. I use those as a green source for my 'fall' compost pile. They absolutely vanish in a compost pile. One of the fastest things to break down in my experience.
Squash Bugs can destroy your squash and cucumbers. I plant a perimeter around my garden of marigolds. They mask the smell of the squash plants. You will also see more pollinator that will increase your harvest. I plant less seed each year and get more. I also plant onions both green and bulb to keep the possum from eating my garden also. I do use soap mix, but not like in the past years. Good Luck.
This is so inspiring to me bc I have tons of leaves in my neighborhood and I thought you had to wait forever for them to fully break down so you could plant in them!
That is a misconception most people have (I did too). But when I decided to pile up a ton of leaves, I figured if they really took that long to break down, then the forest would be nothing but leaves all year. And that is not true at all. In fact most leaves are gone by Jul/Aug on the forest floor.
You can greatly accelerate the process simply by mulching. Just repeatedly running your mower over them while dry, if you don't have the mulching set-up, will usually do the trick.
Be careful they will take forever if you don’t break them down heavily. Also if u leave them whole they can act like a blanket of sorts suffocating the earth underneath and killing any roots u might have or want. Your best bet is just to grind your leaves down to shake
Also the reason or reaction leaves have as an organic matter is minerals. This is the reason that our forests do so well but it’s not just leaves. It’s pine needles, bark, branches etc. mixed with leaves that do this. If you put leaves down in the fall and they are whole all they do is act like a blanket. So grind grind grind because u don’t want the bad fungus. The anaerobic fungus that comes from lack of oxygen
I think that misconception is from people using wire compost or other airy type of compost wich and dries up the leaves instead of breaking them down, as soon as the leaves are allowed to stay wet for a while they will break down, if you keep them on the ground they will become more wet but the top layer will stay pretty dry most of the time so it will look like nothing happens until you start digging in it. People say some types like oak takes longer but it will break down aswell, I didn't notice any difference in my leaf compost that was a mix of different leaf.
Very helpful and beneficial video. I wonder if you can add something like cayenne or ammonia to discourage the bugs prior to planting. Also, if others have never seen what happens to the earthworm population in a thick leaf bed and the soil adjacent to it, you are in for a treat. This is perhaps the most effective of soil improvement techniques because the worms (and their castings) and other critters that can now thrive to speed the soil recovery. If you are short on leaves try straw or grass clippings. I've seen some gardens (mostly Amish) with straw piles over late fall crops all the way into the new year. The straw insulates root crops like potatoes and onions, and can then be worked back into the soil... or not.
Hi Timothy - no idea how long the cayenne would work, or if the ammonia would interfere with the mitochondria that break down the leaves. I'm going to take the advice of a commenter below that checks the underside of their leaves in the Spring/Summer to check for the eggs. Then I may be able to stop them from ever developing a large population.
I did notice that your plants are small and probably lack nitrogen. This is likely because have added so much carbon heavy mulch. Decomposers take up nitrogen from the soil to break down the carbohydrates, making it unavailable to the plants.
If you don't have major squirrel problems, I would strongly recommend a bird seed feeder on a pole located a few feet from the edge of your garden. This will encourage small birds to begin spending time in your garden. Those small birds LOVE to eat bugs and pest like the squash beetles. If you run into caterpillar problems on your tomatoes, you should encourage bees and wasps.
Nice job!! Great to see vids with a more instructive tone. Squash bugs are always a threat. Also beware of the "Squash Vine Borer." Both seem to be present in our neck of the woods and either one can ruin your crop. But the Vine Borer hides much more effectively. Look for "Frass" on the vine stock. There are techniques to rid yourself of them as well. But I will leave that to folks on line that are much more expert than I am. Cheers and thanks for the vid...
Thank you for the advice on the Squash Borer. Another commenter suggested the same thing. I'm going to have to go hyper-vigilant on them next year. Glad you found the video helpful!
Thanks for the update on your leaf mold experiment. Anything to help with WEED suppression is great. Weeds can take over a garden so quickly. And the benefits you showed throughout your seasons was fantastic. Nice job
If you like mushrooms, you can add some garden giant sawdust spawn to you leaf mulch in the fall. It will help decompose the leaves, retain water even more and fruit beautiful edible mushrooms in spring and fall.
Another great HOW TO video. I’ll be using even more leaf mulch now. Can’t wait to spend less time weeding. Hope it is ok to share the video. Thanks so much.
If you have leaves in your yard, You do NOT have to rake them up and take them away. Your yard will have much better soil composition if you leave them. If you take them away, you are essentially just removing nutrients from your yard. Don’t use fertilizers. Just use your lawn mower to mulch it. If you have a thin layer of leaves, they will break down before spring. Obviously 5+ inches might struggle to break down by itself. But mulching it does.
After 25 years of hauling all my leaves to the woods behind me, last fall I made two compost holders (two 4 foot wide and high rings of wire fencing) and packed/stomped as many leaves as possible into both. Nothing much happened until about mid June when I finally saw the piles shrinking and by mid August all that was left was about a foot of black compost, all without touching it. No doubt packing them and not turning them over made it take longer, but for folks like me that have enough to do in their garden, rest assured, nature will eventually take its course.
Hi. Thx for great vid, I plan do the same planting technique next year. But how can you sow seeds in leaf mulch, e.g. radish and pea in March? I think you grab the mulch before sowing and put it back after germination but is there any other way?
Hi, when I plant seeds directly, I will remove the mulch and plant the seed. leaving a bare spot that is 3-5 inches wide/diameter. I don't put the mulch back.
I'm glad to finally see someone utilizing leaves. Here in NC almost literally everyone bags up their leaves or burns them and then goes and buys all sorts of gardening soil and ammendments the next year. Trying to find any info on whether leaves are viable just leads to a ton of mixed reviews that seem to lean heavily towards "avoid". I just started gardening this year and had a feeling I can use leaves to help my soil. Thank you for showing me that it can be done!
Can’t wait for the fall leaves… which I’ve never said until this year. 😆 This has been my plan all season, but seeing this has me even more excited! As for the squash bugs…they could have showed up regardless, but I appreciate you mentioning the possibility of them overwintering in the leaves. Excellent video!!!
Thanks for sharing this information. We are planning on growing some fruit trees next spring or fall and this is a fantastic way to improve our very sandy soil here in NC.
Hi - I have considered it. And I probably would have done it initially if I didn't have such rocky soil. My soil is so rocky that I figured I would bend/break tines on any rototiller. So, I just layered it on the garden thick and figured I could plant around it by just scraping the leaves away. And it worked out beautifully. So, in two years, I made 4-5" of awesome topsoil/decomposed organic matter. And I got the benefits of no weeds. At this point, with a thickness of 4-5" of organic matter, I'm not sure what improvement I would get from tilling above and beyond just using the leaf mulch as is.
@@growitbuildit the only benefits I see are more air mixed in and turnover from tilling your ground. Too much work for the return. Your bang on Growit,
@@growitbuildit I tilled mine in garden and was not thrilled with the results. I think you're better off leaving them on top. I got 3 dump truck loads of leaves last year and made a chicken wire cage to let them decompose... black gold😃
I saw a article online a little wile back about a invasive pest species from asia i beleave, but the picture of the bug looked exactly like the bug you are calling squash bug, same color shape with same antennas on the face and same shield on its back, i remember because i had recently noticed a green color bug here were i live, that also was same shape and size same shield and had same antennas on the face as well, i noticed it on some Kale and marijuana plants, i did have damage on those plants that i was not sure were it came from but suspected it was from this new discovered unidentified bug. Brown marmorated stink bug is the name of the bug you have, i think that is the same bug you have there. It migrated to America in the 1990s from Asia. Im in Canada eastcoast and the bug im referring to i found looks to be its green twin but i still dont know the name of it but has to be same family.
Great video! Questions- I live in coastal NC and primarily have Live Oak tree leaves (which are small). I put them in my flower beds last Fall and they did break down, but not as fast as yours, and I worried that they were a water barrier for some time? Any suggestions for these leaves? When using in a flower bed, would you completely cover the plants or place around each plant? If over everything, how deep? Seems like if too deep, it would smother the plants? I would like to collect leaves from neighbors, but many apply chemicals to their lawns. Is this transferred to the leaves? Should I be worried about this? Also- just a suggestion. So many critters rely on leaf litter (fireflies, many moths and butterflies, beetles, bees, etc.) to complete their life cycles. These are destroyed if run over with a lawn mower. If this is a necessary step, I hope folks will also maintain an area which can collect leaves to support wildlife.
Hi Carol - in the first video I did on this subject, I didn't really mow the leaves up. I pretty much layered them. These were maple leaves from my neighbor up the street, who throws them all out each Fall. I just save them from the landfill. They didn't form a water barrier at all. If you think your Oak Leaves may do so, then you may want to consider chopping them up with a mower, or finding a way to get them to curl/not lay flat. In regards to placing them in flower beds, I would think perennials would be able to push through thick layers. But maybe just try to keep them thinner on top of the perennials. Once you see them popping up somewhere in Spring, go 'find' them. My neighbor uses chemicals on his lawn, and most lawn herbicides/etc are absorbed through the leaves (I think). So I think trees are ok. Personally, I am comfortable. But perhaps you should call your local ag extension and ask their opinion. That way you would know for sure.
I have oak leaves too, so I recommend composting them and not tossing them into the garden. I found it took more than a year to turn them into usable compost. This included frequent watering and a little bit of turning.
That's a great point Carol regarding wildlife. I used to chop them up with the mower, but I started to wonder about that because I noticed that so much wildlife lived in and around them, so I stopped doing that. I would rather let the leaves take another year to break down.
My experience on how to better utilize leaf much: We share the same type of Rocky clay. Altho we differ from a year round temp of 28 - 32°C and 3000mm rain/year. 0. Enjoy the trip, Take it easy, all steps below could be implemented on a multiple year basis 1. Use a loyout to define walk/growing areas (prevent compaction) 2. If on Rocky soil, Double or triple dig the growing areas to extract the rocks. If not on Rocky soil, use a broad fork to break hardpan or compaction *Roots would be able to expand and dig deeper, as well as improve water infiltration* 3. Use vertical mulch: set a trench (20 - 40cm deep) that runs pararell to were seedlings will go and replace that soil with the leaves (you can use a trench or just dig a deeper circular hole next to the seedling and replace the soil) 4. Use a broad spec micorrhyzae fungal incubation on the seedlings or seeds, this is the cost effective solution to improve the health of your plants
WOW! okay so I am starting a no dig bed for a dedicated vegetable garden this fall. (My food crops are currently all mixed in and it's outgrown it's usefulness). It is really encouraging to see I can actually plant into the leaf mulch. I always use leaf mulch in fall for other beds but I haven't exactly created a whole new veg bed with them. I'm excited.
It is an awesome resource! Just to clarify, I plant direct into soil, just scrapping the leaf mulch away. Then, bring it back, but leave a 3" gap to the stalk of the plant. We've had a garden for 4 years at the house we live at now. And the first two years (before massive leaf mulching) our garden would produce an adequate yield with ok-sized plants. But the Spring after our first 'large' leaf mulch of 6", it was clearly evident that we had made a massive improvement to our soil fertility. I've never looked back, and am looking forward to dumping another 60 bags of leaves on my garden in a month or two.
@@growitbuildit cool, thank you for clarifying. I've yet to start on my bed so this is good to know beforehand. I do, however, have several years' experience seeing, feeling, experiencing first hand the positive impact leaf mulch and mould have had on my Ohio suburban clay soil. I'm totally on your same page about the benefits of it. One of the biggest changes was the friability and the amount of earthworms. It almost took me aback when I stuck my finger down and saw the worms there happily munching away after the first fall of leaf mulch. This is going to be like year 4 for me in terms of leaves only as mulch this fall. I love the free mulch. It's amazing.
Thanks for this video - A way to keep up with your squash bugs that works for us is to mist a light amount of soapy water on your wood chips or leaf litter about once a week. I use a backpack sprayer and it make the spraying go quickly.
You are most likely right Lisa. I just wanted to point out that it was something new to me, and raised the possibility that it could have been from the leaf mulch.
Use Pyrmethrin (synthetic) or Pyrethrin (Organic) for squash bugs. It kills on contact and is harmless. Pyrethrin is an extract of the Chrysanthemum plants, while Pyrmethrin is the synthetic version. Also, have a look at Beauveria bassiana, a fungus in the corticeps family that will kill a good number of bugs, including, I think, the squash bug.
QUESTION: Would it be anyadvantge if you, maybe a month before you plant, Roto-Till the garden? NOT too deep, maybe 2-4 inches. I'm thinking it would help spread the composting leaves/improved soil deeper. Just a thought. I'm certainly not telling you how to do it. It was a very interesting video and a whole lot better than the usual " I gotta collect and throw out a great resource"!!
Hi G- there are people who have commented on this video who do exactly that - till them in. And they say they have great results. In fact, if my ground wasn't so rocky I probably would have tilled them in too, but I don't think any tiller could survive my soil. I think the main thing to remember is that adding organic matter, no matter how you do so, is a net positive for your garden. Now, my leaf mulch gave me the 'happy discovery' of getting a natural weed barrier. So, at this point, even if I could till, I don't think I would. I love not having to weed anything. And, after two years I'm up to 4" + of good, black crumbly dirt. The interesting thing to note is that although I have piled up all these leaves, the level of my ground has not risen.....so the organic matter is getting consumed AND trickling down into my base soil. I suspect that after 5 years of doing this I will have 10-12" of black, light, fluffy soil in my garden.
Looks like you have 2 pests. The squash bugs you show in the video, but then also the squash vine borer which you don't see in the video but their damage you showed in the stalk of the plant. The borer shows up when a funny looking black and red moth lay eggs on the plant. Looks more like a bee than moth. The larvae from those eggs bore into your squash hollowing out the inside as they eat their way to adulthood. If you see them they look like a maggot. Squash vine borers are the worst. They destroy the entire plant quickly
I have problems with those squash bugs. Little rrrrrrr. Family Channel so I can't call them what I want but I seem to have got them from wood chip mulch. I can't stand them.
I used to drive around at Valentine’s Day and collect bags off cuttings from flower shops and compost them, the variety I think brings more life to the soil.
Hello it’s me again with another question. And btw thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding of compost and leaf mulch. The question I have now is, I read that using oak leaves was not good for all flower gardens. Well that’s all I have are oak trees everywhere and all that I have mulched. Can I use these on my flower beds??? I have jonquils, Stella d’ors, roses, irises, pop up Lilly’s, daturas, trumpet trees and elephant ears to name a few. My friend mulched all of his for me along with grass clippings and they have been in bags all winter. Are these safe to use? Thanks you for much and I love your channel!!!!!
Hi Sharron - I would use oak leaves without hesitation. The only 'potential' problem I've heard about Oak leaves is that they can raise pH levels. I believe it was Michigan State that had a test pile for several years using Oak leaves, and they found no change in pH level. I got the study linked in my article on this topic.
Hi Joe, I followed your leaf instructions along with cardboard. You responded to my questions and helped so much. Now in watching this video I am relieved to see your mulch progress I have a small area and it looks just like yours❤. I cannot turn it a lot due to using a Walker and the wet leaves. I am using a pitch fork to turn as much as I can. Can I just rake back a bit and put seeds then just barely cover them? I am doing butterfly flowers etc. no veggies. I bought an auger to plant bulbs or small perennials. I wish I had known about this years ago when I was able to do this. Any suggestions? Thank you. I am a subscriber. Mary
Hi Mary - that would be the best way to germinate them. Rake them back, sprinkle seed...and then just walk on it so it has good contact with the soil. In Spring, the soil generally stays moist. I don't know what kind of mix you have, but if the seeds are tiny, they may need exposure to sunlight to germinate. I would try to keep leaves off of seeds, as they may smother any that germinate.
I’m just bc starting a leaf compost pile. Originally I wanted it for mulch but after watching your videos I’d like to be able to spread it in my flower beds for better soil. ( can this be done) also I was told to put soil from my yard and kitchen veggies in the pile. Am I confusing two different things or can I mix veggies from kitchen along with yard trimmings with the leaves? I also have an abundance of sawdust. Bottom line I’m asking am I getting compost mixed up with mulch? Thanks so much!
Hi Sharron - it sounds like you are confusing compost with leaf mulch. Compost takes the mix of green/browns/water/air and turns into, compost. Leaf mulch is just spreading leaves over a bed or garden. The leaf mulch will breakdown in place over the coming growing season, feeding your plants and acting as a weed barrier. I would use the leaves as a natural mulch, as they are free, and prevent weeds. Then, use your sawdust, kitchen scraps, and whatever else you can get your hands on to make a compost pile. Know that it is hard to come by enough green material to get a hot pile during winter. Composting in Winter requires a much larger pile (4' diameter minimum) but still needs a lot of greens. I save kitchen scraps in buckets w/ lids, get coffee grounds from starbucks, and snag discarded pumpkins.
I read oak leaves may negatively affect the soil ph? I’m not sure if that would be significant enough to worry about but if that is what is in abundance to tuse for his same method, am wondering….? have u tested before and after soil just out of curiosity? Other than visually…love your channel- thanks!
Hi, oak leaves don't effect pH. I actually cite Michigan State university study where they found the pH was unchanged after 2 years. See here - growitbuildit.com/how-to-make-a-compost-pile/
LOL... I guess you have realized by now that Squash bugs multiply every year and there is NO controlling them... The best thing we have found to do is plant multiple squash plants in various places throughout the garden as early as possible... get one good harvest from them and rip them out before the squash bugs get too bad... Then have some new seedlings ready to put in the ground in a few different locations and hopefully you can get a second squash harvest... Those pests seem to like the extreme heat so they don't show up in early spring or early fall... I don't know where you live but if you have a short growing season, this plan may not work for you.. Thanks for the video... It was very informative.
I actually came to learn that my main problem was the Squash Vine borer. The squash bugs certainly don't help anything, but I didn't have much of an issue with them this past year as I focused on killing vine-borer larvae in the stem.
Leaves are key to great soil. I tried this in fall of 2021. Had amazing soil this spring. I had squash bugs summer of 2021. This year I’m growing my cucumbers In raised beds. To keep an eye on them.
I always have trouble with squash bugs and cucumber beetles. This year I sprayed Pyrethrum and Monterey Brand Organic insect spray. I was successful with protecting the squash but the cucumbers succumbed before I saw the damage. Also, I’m noticing that my winter squash does much better when the temperature is below 90. I’m still getting butternut squash setting in mid September Your thoughts
Hi Ben - This was the first year I had significant damage. I had seen damage at the base in years past, but never found a culprit. As far as temperature goes, I have trouble getting squashes to start producing before late June. I did start more plants in mid-August, and have a couple zucchini plants that *might* bear some crop before frost really sets in. But we will see. The only squashes we grow as of now are cucumber, zucchini, and spaghetti squash. Well, we did grow a lot of gourds in some wild 'no-man's-land' forest that borders our property.
Growing up dad would raise the blade on the mower so that we would catch/bag more of the neighbors' leaves as they blew across the lawn. There would be a layer of grass clipping/leaves covering the entire 1/2 acre garden. Prior to planting, I would lightly rake off what was left of the clippings and add them to the previous season's compost pile. Wait a couple of weeks and then add compost to the garden and cover that with grass clippings.
Can having too many leaves upset the NPK ratio and where are "all the worms and good bugs"? Any problems with rodents hiding in the leaves to keep warm through the winter? Aside from that your plants and veg seem to be doing great!
Thank you for posting your instructional video's!! I live in northern North Dakota & this year was my 1st gardening experience. I haven't started a compost pile yet, should I start one this time of the year? We are starting to get frost during the night already. What would you suggest I do with the piles of compost this Winter ? Do you just pick up where you left off in the Spring, (which is about May)? Any other helpful hints would really help. Thank you greatly!
Hi Jeanita - I compost year round. Obviously I'm not in ND, but we do get a winter in PA. I compost year round. Even if my Compost nearly stops in winter once temps get below zero at night, I still add to it. So I just accumulate material, and come Spring everything gets decomposing again. If you don't mind looking at it, I would suggest you start now. If nothing else, you can get everyone's pumpkins in a month or so, which make a great green material.
It’s my understanding squash bugs don’t kill cucurbits. Look at your vine near the bottom and you will see their orange poop and you can be aggressive slice vertically into the vine and find the larvae gorging on the juicy inner core. Remove him (her) and no need to bury that wound it will heal and your plant will thrive. There are numerous videos so don’t fret. Cut the demons out and smash burn drown whichever make you feel good. My neighbors surely think I’m weird because I’m very vocal when I find one
Thank you for the tip Don! I will have to try that next year. I went from a huge squash bounty last year, to mediocre this year. I actually planted out some more cucumbers and zucchini in August, and those produced up until Halloween (almost). But, from what I've read, they lay their eggs in late Spring. So, would not have been a factor by August.
Thank-you - great video! I used leaf mulch in my garden before (although not to the extent that you did) and had very good results also. I also had more worms in my garden which I consider to be a plus. I think I'll try to add more this year to decrease the weeding since you said it helped so much.
Oh my gosh, just love leaves in the fall. I run the lawn mower and mulch them with my grass ,bag it and dump it ontop of my garden beds. The squash bugs were fierce this year. I thought I got a jump on them in the spring by rubbing the eggs while on the leaves to kill them, but learned through another Gardner on you tube that I wasn't killing them at all doing it that way. He said their like bubble wrap and you have to use a hard tool on the front and back of the leaves simultaneously to kill the eggs. Otherwise you rubbing them off the leaves just makes them fall to the ground and they still survive. Great video! I believe the best garden is a deep mulch garden. I even use leaves on the bottom of my flower pots as a filler so I don't have to use that much potting soil.
Hi Nora - I removed leaves w/ squash bugs and actually threw them in the trash. I can't stand those little buggers. But I agree with everything you say about leaf mulch. I can't get enough of the stuff.
leaf mulching is a wonderful thing. not sure what state u live in. I live in connecticut. Some of our towns use paper bio degrading leaf bags for curb side pickup other towns u rack ur leaves to the curb & the town sucks them up by a vacumn process & that process also mulches the leaves. Either process the town vehicles take the leaves to our town recycle piles for them to decompose over winter. Us as residents are free to go to these dumping sites in the spring with pails ,pick up trucks or even totes fill up ur containers (take as much as you would like or need & bring it home to spread in ur vegetable or flower gardens ). Those piles have been breaking down for year after year we all call it black gold. Maybe you can talk to ur town officials & work out something. I even use the black gold when i plant in containers mixing it with regular potting soil. Happy Gardening !!!!
Hi Bobbie - I'm in Pennsylvania. There are towns around here where you can go get leaf mold, and it is great stuff. I've gotten some from friends who had extra (I don't live in those towns).
The more fertile your soil becomes the more microbes that will grow inside of it. (fungi bacteria protozoa nematodes) The more microbes in the soil the more healthy the plant. The healthier the plant, the better it can resist sap suckers. Continue on what you're doing, and perhaps consider mixing in a few other materials and you'll see less infestation as the brix levels in your crops increase.
Are you still not having slug problems? We have a forest of slugs and go out at night with a flashlight to pick them off. If we do this three nights running every few weeks, that seems to make a big difference. I've tried every remedy and handpicking works best.
Hi, I still have not had slug problems. I did see some giant invasive slugs in a different part of our yard. But never have seen any damage from slugs. But I will remember what you said should I ever get them - so thank you for sharing.
Another mulch can b had from ur local arborist. I have found that they r willing to give away wood chips from their jobs. After about a year u will have beautiful black compost to mix into ur garden as an amendment.
Yes! ..Leaves are an incredible way to develop and maintain growth in the garden. I have been blessed with a large maple grove where I harvest maple leaves. ...Nice video. I hope it encourages others.
I started this method last fall. One pretty serious issue I've run into is birds. Robins and Grackles have been my nemeses. I haven't been able to keep an onion set or other seedling in the ground. Not that they go after them, but rooting through the leaves looking for worms and bugs, they either tear them out or cover them up. Direct seeding of things like carrots has been impossible due to them. Any plant starts have to be quite developed to survive the onslaught. I can't possibly put bird netting around the entire garden, so I guess I'll have to find some other way to deal with them.
Hi Rob - I don't start that many plants from direct seeding. Mainly zuccini, squash, cucumber, lettuce. It has not been an issue for those, as I just rake away leaves and plant my seeds. It is no as in-depth as a row of carrots though. This year I did try beats by making a small trench and just filling it with compost. I've had plenty of germination, but not sure how the final yield will be. I do have robins and bluejays in the leaves all day, everyday. But it has not been an issue, probably due to my limited seed-starts.
Nice progress! It's awesome to see that side-by-side comparison. Some years are worse than others for squash bugs. I don't know that it can be pinpointed to the leaves or your neighbor. In my experience, whenever there's a heavy infestation in my garden, I ask around and find it's really bad throughout the whole area or even region. Might be a good opportunity to consider inoculating your garden with beneficial microbes. Healthy, living soil makes for healthy plants; Bugs don't prefer super healthy plants. Just a thought. Thanks so much for the update! Pretty exciting results!
You are welcome Lisa! I think you are right on the bugs. It was bad for lots of gardeners in my neighborhood this year. As far as my soil, it is very close to a forest, and have had plenty of tree roots through the garden. So I believe, or at least think I may have fairly healthy soil. If nothing else, I'm certain the top black layer is healthy. Thank you !
@@growitbuildit Of course! It's an awesome texture, without a doubt. I was more referring to the amount and variety of soil biology. Bacteria, fungi, arthropods, nematodes, etc. Bugs are always an indication of an imbalance in the ecosystem down there. Matt Powers and Elaine Ingham have some great videos on the subject, and they make it all really accessible. Soil science has catapulted forward the last decade and we know now that our previous understanding was way off. There's a whole other world in there and all kinds of crazy associations. It really is incredible, especially to see it on a microscope. So cool.
have you considered soaping your whole garden in the off season? you’ll lose some of the beneficial bugs but you would also kill any squash bug eggs laid in the mulch. the larvae is what kills the plant so if you had adults this season you’ll have them next season, you would have to kill them all before they lay eggs which is almost impossible. you could also use a garden pesticide but soap works and it’s safer for food gardens
I had actually found a patch of eggs on a tomato leaf earlier in the season. I removed and disposed of it, but I did not search other leaves. I think this was the biggest mistake. I didn't know it at the time, but have since learned that the eggs I found was the squash bugs.
The brown lawn bags at the ends of peoples driveways drive me crazy. The trees bring up so many nutrients from deep in the ground and deliver them to us every year via leaves. Use them don't lose them.
Don't know if you have chickens or not. But if those squash bugs are nesting overwinter in the mulch, you might want to run chickens over it either in the fall or early spring. They should have no problem eating whatever bugs are in there, plus get a nice kick of fertilizer.
Hi Joseph - I would go right ahead and use them all. Even if the Oak take longer, they will serve as a barrier and break down eventually. Put it another way, for what reason wouldn't you add that fertility?
Can you water the mulch or just leave them as is/Does it or will it need water ? And can you compost in the fall/winter when the leaves are breaking down or leave them as is ?
Hi - I don't water it at all. It will get rained on quite a bit what keeps it thoroughly wet. I will do winter composting (separate from the mulch). Composting in winter just takes much more time.
I live in a very sandy, dry area, slim to non rain. Would I need to water the leaves to get them to break down? And do you think it would amend the sand into something I could grow in and use as a garden eventually? Thanks!
Hi Meghann - this would certainly help improve sandy soil to hold water/nutrients. If you have a thick layer, the outer layer will be dry but the inside will stay moist. It will take a long time to break down, but enough leaves might be able to transform your sandy soil into something you could garden in. You just need to try.
Awesome! Try a regular dusting of food grade diatomaceous earth on the plants and soil. It will help control the bugs and also add calcium to the soil.
I may have to try that this year. Several commenters noted that my main problem was likely the squash vine borer, which makes sense given the damage at the base of the stalk. So, I may have to wrap it in something.
Hi London - I must say that I have never tried what you are proposing, so it is just my opinion. But I don't think that they would be able to push through a layer of leaf mulch that was several inches thick. Based on my experience, very little can push through that layer. Even today, I barely have to pull any weeds at all (still doing leaf mulch each year).
Hi Delphos - I agree with you. I did have squash bugs too - but the vine borer was definitely the main problem. Several other commenters pointed this out to me too. Thank you!
I’ve been using leaves for over 25 years and it really is transformative. I just can’t convince my neighbors. It seems to be an American habit of wanting the leaves gone in the fall
It's insane. One of the best 'free' soil building resources....and most of it gets disposed of!
Right? People here do not get it. At all. I always try to tell them - like, what do you think you are buying in that bag of pine bark or other organic material you can purchase from the store? I mean, don't get me wrong, I buy mulch also in spring, but in fall? No need to.
Your right… Americans just don’t get farming… that’s why I left Rhodesia
@@kelly8431 Nice to see you still call it Rhodesia rather than the Z word! Good for you!
Brad Lancaster says "They're called leaves because you're supposed to leave them."
The easiest way to deal with squash bugs (which I've dealt with several times in my garden) is to look on the bottom of your squash leaves in the early Spring and Summer. The squash bug eggs are little orange eggs about the size of a pen tip. You can just rub/"squash" (I couldn't help myself!) the eggs, and after doing this a few times, you won't have any mature insects develop. Hope this helps! Thanks for another great video!
Thank you Bishop! I actually found a patch of them this Spring. But from what I remember they were on a Tomato plant. I just removed the leaf and discarded. But I will definitely be on the lookout.
@@growitbuildit
Squash bug eggs are metallic colored.
You can also take duct tape and roll it backward around your hand and press it to the eggs on the leaves to remove the eggs. That way you don't rip the leaves.
@@maryn8728 why not just eat them ?
@@Rohgestalt try it and let us know how it goes?
I just finished mulching leaves yesterday. Every year, when the leaves fall off my trees, I cut them up with my lawnmower and I dump the shredded leaves in what used to be a low corner of my yard. Over the last several years, as the mulched leaves have turned to soil, that corner of my yard has risen by about a foot and the grass is growing there just like in the rest of the yard.
Nice - I love the power of decomposing leaves.
As they say : Seeing is believing. The video is proof that utilizing those #@&* leaves instead of bagging them as trash is not only much easier, they will create the ideal, weed free medium for growing food all while becoming super fertile top soil ! Just remember to incorporate all inedible plant material right back into this fall's leaves to further enrich your garden ! Thanks for this great video, too!
Thank you Ted! Just think if people learned that they could have a virtually weed-free garden or flower bed for free. And I'm with you on leaving the plant material right on top of the garden soil.
Thank you so much for great content! Especially appreciated the long term work with results! There is a lot of videos without results. This video is really well done.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Appreciate it! Always thought about the leaves and knew it good but I was wondering how log it takes leaves to decompose and get to the soil. Thank you for that test! You did it! Thanks again!👍🏻
You are very welcome Irina! I'm very happy you are finding this info helpful. I really appreciate your kind words.
Love seeing the two year difference, great information as usual.
Thank you Crystal!
Great video. Check out the Ruth Stout method of gardening if you have time. She was an early pioneer of no dig, no till gardening. She used hay but recommended using whatever natural resource is available to you in your area for mulch. Grass clippings, leaves etc. Important to keep the soil always covered so that weed seeds can not take root. But, if you see a weed - just put some more (hay, leaves, grass clippings, etc.) mulch on top of it to stop photosynthesis. When asked how much mulch is enough, she always answered "more."
Thanks Ed - I'll take a look. But I like what you are saying about it so far.
Great video! I live on the side of a rock mountain and basically have no soil. I have been working to make soil the last years because I do not want to buy anymore. This last year I found a school that has been piling up their fall leaves in a huge pile for years. The leaf mulch at the bottom of the pile is wonderful and they offerred to deliver their yearly leaves to my house! Wow!
Wow - talk about a gift!
Use leaves as pathways to make them break down faster. It helps when I get 400 bags delivered and space runs out. My pathways ARE my compost piles....You can see them on my channel.
Your video is very interesting. In France we use a simple technique to avoid loosing our crops to bugs or pests... We double or triple the number of vegetables we plant. Part of it will get eaten, but at the end we always harvest something ! Otherwise the presence of bugs like this one may indicate a lack of biodiversity in your neighbourhood, causing some bugs to proliferate with no predator and loads of free food. I know wasps and spiders eat insects similar to your squash bug, and also toads that could be living in a pond nearby. I'm on a very compacted swamp soil in western france, and your video helped me a lot, i will try mulching and no dig method. Bonne chance mon ami !
Thank you Thomas - glad I could help. You may not see it in this video, but my vegetable garden is right next to a 15x2 m wildflower garden, that itself backs up to a forest. I think I have a very diverse area - but who knows. Best of luck to you and your moist soil!
This was my third year of 24" deep raised beds with pure leaf mulch. They are the best three seasons that I have ever had. I still do hydroponics, and containers with leaf mulch, but I no longer till up my large garden. I recently learned that the world record pumpkin growers are using 100% leaf mulch as a growing medium. They are very close to growing a 3000 pound pumpkin, and I understand why after seeing the results in my raised beds.
3000 pounds??? Wow - I am not surprised they used leaf mulch as the medium. My experience has matched yours almost exactly. The biggest and best plants I've ever had are these last couple years of heavy leaf mulching.
People have treated me like a crazy person because I collected my neighbors' leaf bags and used them for mulch and compost. Meanwhile my garden prospered. Just take a look at nature. All that leaf layer in the woods and forests is fertile ground. Walk on it and feel nature's own carpet. Garden centers can't sell it so they advise customers to buy their bagged soil and chemical fertilizers.
I am pleased to find your channel. I also like Charles Dowding and his no dig practice. Let's keep carbon in the ground.
Hi Kathryn - I let them look at me like I'm crazy too! I've met some people bagging up leaves who were quite happy for me to take them.
Lots of great ‘hands on’ info. Thanks
One of the negatives of our new recycling program is that we no longer have a leaf drop off place each Fall. Now organics are recycled in the green bin. I used to go to the drop off and collect dozens of bags of mulched leaves and post Halloween pumpkins. I would mix chopped up pumpkins, leaves and bags of grass and not compost it but rather just spread it all over our flower and vegetable gardens were spectacular results the next growing season. The organics would break down in place.
That is a bummer Tom - but would the next town have the same thing? You may be able to travel to the next city/village and find some leaves bagged up on the curb waiting for you.
But I'm with you on the pumpkins. I use those as a green source for my 'fall' compost pile. They absolutely vanish in a compost pile. One of the fastest things to break down in my experience.
Squash Bugs can destroy your squash and cucumbers. I plant a perimeter around my garden of marigolds. They mask the smell of the squash plants. You will also see more pollinator that will increase your harvest. I plant less seed each year and get more. I also plant onions both green and bulb to keep the possum from eating my garden also. I do use soap mix, but not like in the past years. Good Luck.
Thanks for the info Thomas - I may look into this for next year
This is so inspiring to me bc I have tons of leaves in my neighborhood and I thought you had to wait forever for them to fully break down so you could plant in them!
That is a misconception most people have (I did too). But when I decided to pile up a ton of leaves, I figured if they really took that long to break down, then the forest would be nothing but leaves all year. And that is not true at all. In fact most leaves are gone by Jul/Aug on the forest floor.
You can greatly accelerate the process simply by mulching. Just repeatedly running your mower over them while dry, if you don't have the mulching set-up, will usually do the trick.
Be careful they will take forever if you don’t break them down heavily. Also if u leave them whole they can act like a blanket of sorts suffocating the earth underneath and killing any roots u might have or want. Your best bet is just to grind your leaves down to shake
Also the reason or reaction leaves have as an organic matter is minerals. This is the reason that our forests do so well but it’s not just leaves. It’s pine needles, bark, branches etc. mixed with leaves that do this. If you put leaves down in the fall and they are whole all they do is act like a blanket. So grind grind grind because u don’t want the bad fungus. The anaerobic fungus that comes from lack of oxygen
I think that misconception is from people using wire compost or other airy type of compost wich and dries up the leaves instead of breaking them down, as soon as the leaves are allowed to stay wet for a while they will break down, if you keep them on the ground they will become more wet but the top layer will stay pretty dry most of the time so it will look like nothing happens until you start digging in it.
People say some types like oak takes longer but it will break down aswell, I didn't notice any difference in my leaf compost that was a mix of different leaf.
Love Leaves as a natural resource! They are a great source to have :) Thanks for sharing
It has been the best thing I've done for my soil. Couldn't agree more!
Very helpful and beneficial video. I wonder if you can add something like cayenne or ammonia to discourage the bugs prior to planting. Also, if others have never seen what happens to the earthworm population in a thick leaf bed and the soil adjacent to it, you are in for a treat. This is perhaps the most effective of soil improvement techniques because the worms (and their castings) and other critters that can now thrive to speed the soil recovery. If you are short on leaves try straw or grass clippings. I've seen some gardens (mostly Amish) with straw piles over late fall crops all the way into the new year. The straw insulates root crops like potatoes and onions, and can then be worked back into the soil... or not.
Hi Timothy - no idea how long the cayenne would work, or if the ammonia would interfere with the mitochondria that break down the leaves. I'm going to take the advice of a commenter below that checks the underside of their leaves in the Spring/Summer to check for the eggs. Then I may be able to stop them from ever developing a large population.
I did notice that your plants are small and probably lack nitrogen. This is likely because have added so much carbon heavy mulch. Decomposers take up nitrogen from the soil to break down the carbohydrates, making it unavailable to the plants.
If you don't have major squirrel problems, I would strongly recommend a bird seed feeder on a pole located a few feet from the edge of your garden. This will encourage small birds to begin spending time in your garden. Those small birds LOVE to eat bugs and pest like the squash beetles. If you run into caterpillar problems on your tomatoes, you should encourage bees and wasps.
I normally take bird feeders down in the Spring, but perhaps I should keep it up. Thank you Ben.
@@growitbuildit If you have the capacity to entire smaller birds, that's better. Crows and jays wont be as much help as sparrows and finches and tits.
Nice job!! Great to see vids with a more instructive tone. Squash bugs are always a threat. Also beware of the "Squash Vine Borer." Both seem to be present in our neck of the woods and either one can ruin your crop. But the Vine Borer hides much more effectively. Look for "Frass" on the vine stock. There are techniques to rid yourself of them as well. But I will leave that to folks on line that are much more expert than I am. Cheers and thanks for the vid...
Thank you for the advice on the Squash Borer. Another commenter suggested the same thing. I'm going to have to go hyper-vigilant on them next year. Glad you found the video helpful!
Thanks for the update on your leaf mold experiment. Anything to help with WEED suppression is great. Weeds can take over a garden so quickly. And the benefits you showed throughout your seasons was fantastic. Nice job
Thank you Dusty. I'm just gearing up for the next round of leaf mulch.
If you like mushrooms, you can add some garden giant sawdust spawn to you leaf mulch in the fall. It will help decompose the leaves, retain water even more and fruit beautiful edible mushrooms in spring and fall.
Another great HOW TO video. I’ll be using even more leaf mulch now. Can’t wait to spend less time weeding. Hope it is ok to share the video. Thanks so much.
Thank you Marian! The weeding was one heck of a benefit.
Can watering with soapy water help with the squash bugs and other pests for that matter,in the leaf mulch
If you have leaves in your yard, You do NOT have to rake them up and take them away. Your yard will have much better soil composition if you leave them. If you take them away, you are essentially just removing nutrients from your yard. Don’t use fertilizers. Just use your lawn mower to mulch it. If you have a thin layer of leaves, they will break down before spring. Obviously 5+ inches might struggle to break down by itself. But mulching it does.
After 25 years of hauling all my leaves to the woods behind me, last fall I made two compost holders (two 4 foot wide and high rings of wire fencing) and packed/stomped as many leaves as possible into both. Nothing much happened until about mid June when I finally saw the piles shrinking and by mid August all that was left was about a foot of black compost, all without touching it. No doubt packing them and not turning them over made it take longer, but for folks like me that have enough to do in their garden, rest assured, nature will eventually take its course.
Leaves are one of the best free resources available to just about any gardener.
Hi. Thx for great vid, I plan do the same planting technique next year. But how can you sow seeds in leaf mulch, e.g. radish and pea in March? I think you grab the mulch before sowing and put it back after germination but is there any other way?
Hi, when I plant seeds directly, I will remove the mulch and plant the seed. leaving a bare spot that is 3-5 inches wide/diameter. I don't put the mulch back.
I'm glad to finally see someone utilizing leaves. Here in NC almost literally everyone bags up their leaves or burns them and then goes and buys all sorts of gardening soil and ammendments the next year. Trying to find any info on whether leaves are viable just leads to a ton of mixed reviews that seem to lean heavily towards "avoid". I just started gardening this year and had a feeling I can use leaves to help my soil. Thank you for showing me that it can be done!
It's amazing - the single best thing I've done for my soil hasn't cost a penny.
Can’t wait for the fall leaves… which I’ve never said until this year. 😆 This has been my plan all season, but seeing this has me even more excited! As for the squash bugs…they could have showed up regardless, but I appreciate you mentioning the possibility of them overwintering in the leaves. Excellent video!!!
Thank you Suzi! I'm looking forward to layering them on thick again, and not weeding next year.
It's a pleasure to watch a true gardener, not the usual UA-cam posers. Lol
Thanks Man!
I'm enjoying the journey with you! 💪🎃👍
Thank you sir! I really appreciate your comment!
Nice work! Thanks.
Thank you Veleria!
Thanks for sharing this information. We are planning on growing some fruit trees next spring or fall and this is a fantastic way to improve our very sandy soil here in NC.
You are very welcome Joy. It has done wonders for my soil, and it should for you too.
Wahahahah ….. squash bugs are a fact of life where there is squash of any kind…..it’s all took cabbage moths you just cant get away from them.
Its the bugs. Ants , worms and Micro organisms that break down the leaves..
Great video. I love how this is a follow up video to see the comparison. Did you ever consider tilling the leaves into the soil.
Hi - I have considered it. And I probably would have done it initially if I didn't have such rocky soil. My soil is so rocky that I figured I would bend/break tines on any rototiller.
So, I just layered it on the garden thick and figured I could plant around it by just scraping the leaves away. And it worked out beautifully. So, in two years, I made 4-5" of awesome topsoil/decomposed organic matter. And I got the benefits of no weeds. At this point, with a thickness of 4-5" of organic matter, I'm not sure what improvement I would get from tilling above and beyond just using the leaf mulch as is.
@@growitbuildit the only benefits I see are more air mixed in and turnover from tilling your ground. Too much work for the return. Your bang on Growit,
Tilling just brings weed seeds in the soil to the surface. No till is so much better
@@growitbuildit I tilled mine in garden and was not thrilled with the results. I think you're better off leaving them on top. I got 3 dump truck loads of leaves last year and made a chicken wire cage to let them decompose...
black gold😃
Good info d65. Always like hearing others direct experience.
I saw a article online a little wile back about a invasive pest species from asia i beleave, but the picture of the bug looked exactly like the bug you are calling squash bug, same color shape with same antennas on the face and same shield on its back, i remember because i had recently noticed a green color bug here were i live, that also was same shape and size same shield and had same antennas on the face as well, i noticed it on some Kale and marijuana plants, i did have damage on those plants that i was not sure were it came from but suspected it was from this new discovered unidentified bug. Brown marmorated stink bug is the name of the bug you have, i think that is the same bug you have there. It migrated to America in the 1990s from Asia. Im in Canada eastcoast and the bug im referring to i found looks to be its green twin but i still dont know the name of it but has to be same family.
Great video! Questions- I live in coastal NC and primarily have Live Oak tree leaves (which are small). I put them in my flower beds last Fall and they did break down, but not as fast as yours, and I worried that they were a water barrier for some time? Any suggestions for these leaves? When using in a flower bed, would you completely cover the plants or place around each plant? If over everything, how deep? Seems like if too deep, it would smother the plants? I would like to collect leaves from neighbors, but many apply chemicals to their lawns. Is this transferred to the leaves? Should I be worried about this?
Also- just a suggestion. So many critters rely on leaf litter (fireflies, many moths and butterflies, beetles, bees, etc.) to complete their life cycles. These are destroyed if run over with a lawn mower. If this is a necessary step, I hope folks will also maintain an area which can collect leaves to support wildlife.
Hi Carol - in the first video I did on this subject, I didn't really mow the leaves up. I pretty much layered them. These were maple leaves from my neighbor up the street, who throws them all out each Fall. I just save them from the landfill. They didn't form a water barrier at all.
If you think your Oak Leaves may do so, then you may want to consider chopping them up with a mower, or finding a way to get them to curl/not lay flat.
In regards to placing them in flower beds, I would think perennials would be able to push through thick layers. But maybe just try to keep them thinner on top of the perennials. Once you see them popping up somewhere in Spring, go 'find' them.
My neighbor uses chemicals on his lawn, and most lawn herbicides/etc are absorbed through the leaves (I think). So I think trees are ok. Personally, I am comfortable. But perhaps you should call your local ag extension and ask their opinion. That way you would know for sure.
I have oak leaves too, so I recommend composting them and not tossing them into the garden. I found it took more than a year to turn them into usable compost. This included frequent watering and a little bit of turning.
That's a great point Carol regarding wildlife. I used to chop them up with the mower, but I started to wonder about that because I noticed that so much wildlife lived in and around them, so I stopped doing that. I would rather let the leaves take another year to break down.
Chop/mulch the leaves facilitates breaking them down to nourish and improve all soil functions.
My experience on how to better utilize leaf much:
We share the same type of Rocky clay. Altho we differ from a year round temp of 28 - 32°C and 3000mm rain/year.
0. Enjoy the trip, Take it easy, all steps below could be implemented on a multiple year basis
1. Use a loyout to define walk/growing areas (prevent compaction)
2. If on Rocky soil, Double or triple dig the growing areas to extract the rocks.
If not on Rocky soil, use a broad fork to break hardpan or compaction
*Roots would be able to expand and dig deeper, as well as improve water infiltration*
3. Use vertical mulch: set a trench (20 - 40cm deep) that runs pararell to were seedlings will go and replace that soil with the leaves (you can use a trench or just dig a deeper circular hole next to the seedling and replace the soil)
4. Use a broad spec micorrhyzae fungal incubation on the seedlings or seeds, this is the cost effective solution to improve the health of your plants
WOW! okay so I am starting a no dig bed for a dedicated vegetable garden this fall. (My food crops are currently all mixed in and it's outgrown it's usefulness). It is really encouraging to see I can actually plant into the leaf mulch. I always use leaf mulch in fall for other beds but I haven't exactly created a whole new veg bed with them. I'm excited.
It is an awesome resource! Just to clarify, I plant direct into soil, just scrapping the leaf mulch away. Then, bring it back, but leave a 3" gap to the stalk of the plant.
We've had a garden for 4 years at the house we live at now. And the first two years (before massive leaf mulching) our garden would produce an adequate yield with ok-sized plants. But the Spring after our first 'large' leaf mulch of 6", it was clearly evident that we had made a massive improvement to our soil fertility. I've never looked back, and am looking forward to dumping another 60 bags of leaves on my garden in a month or two.
@@growitbuildit cool, thank you for clarifying. I've yet to start on my bed so this is good to know beforehand. I do, however, have several years' experience seeing, feeling, experiencing first hand the positive impact leaf mulch and mould have had on my Ohio suburban clay soil. I'm totally on your same page about the benefits of it. One of the biggest changes was the friability and the amount of earthworms. It almost took me aback when I stuck my finger down and saw the worms there happily munching away after the first fall of leaf mulch. This is going to be like year 4 for me in terms of leaves only as mulch this fall. I love the free mulch. It's amazing.
Maybe you should put some beneficial nematodes...
Try to get some chickens or ducks.
They'll sort bugs out quick
Thanks for this video - A way to keep up with your squash bugs that works for us is to mist a light amount of soapy water on your wood chips or leaf litter about once a week. I use a backpack sprayer and it make the spraying go quickly.
Thank you for that tip Stewart - I may have to try that. As of now my plan is to check for eggs every day or two, and remove any I find.
Awesome job
Thank you!
I quit building leaf piles. Now I put them in garden paths because they break down fast while walking on them!
I have them on my raised bed videos.
Nice - that would certainly work too. And make for a nice soft path.
I SERIOUSLY doubt the squash bugs are a result of leaf mold mulch. In my experience, they will show up wherever you have curcubits.
You are most likely right Lisa. I just wanted to point out that it was something new to me, and raised the possibility that it could have been from the leaf mulch.
Time to get some chickens for those squash bugs!
Use Pyrmethrin (synthetic) or Pyrethrin (Organic) for squash bugs. It kills on contact and is harmless. Pyrethrin is an extract of the Chrysanthemum plants, while Pyrmethrin is the synthetic version. Also, have a look at Beauveria bassiana, a fungus in the corticeps family that will kill a good number of bugs, including, I think, the squash bug.
Thank you for the tip Joe. I've used Permethrin for tick tubes for some years now but hadn't considered that for the squash bugs
QUESTION: Would it be anyadvantge if you, maybe a month before you plant, Roto-Till the garden? NOT too deep, maybe 2-4 inches. I'm thinking it would help spread the composting leaves/improved soil deeper.
Just a thought. I'm certainly not telling you how to do it.
It was a very interesting video and a whole lot better than the usual " I gotta collect and throw out a great resource"!!
Hi G- there are people who have commented on this video who do exactly that - till them in. And they say they have great results. In fact, if my ground wasn't so rocky I probably would have tilled them in too, but I don't think any tiller could survive my soil.
I think the main thing to remember is that adding organic matter, no matter how you do so, is a net positive for your garden. Now, my leaf mulch gave me the 'happy discovery' of getting a natural weed barrier. So, at this point, even if I could till, I don't think I would. I love not having to weed anything. And, after two years I'm up to 4" + of good, black crumbly dirt.
The interesting thing to note is that although I have piled up all these leaves, the level of my ground has not risen.....so the organic matter is getting consumed AND trickling down into my base soil. I suspect that after 5 years of doing this I will have 10-12" of black, light, fluffy soil in my garden.
Looks like you have 2 pests. The squash bugs you show in the video, but then also the squash vine borer which you don't see in the video but their damage you showed in the stalk of the plant. The borer shows up when a funny looking black and red moth lay eggs on the plant. Looks more like a bee than moth. The larvae from those eggs bore into your squash hollowing out the inside as they eat their way to adulthood. If you see them they look like a maggot. Squash vine borers are the worst. They destroy the entire plant quickly
Hi - and thank you. yes, I fully agree with your assessment. I have actually been digging out squash vine borers each year now!
I have problems with those squash bugs. Little rrrrrrr. Family Channel so I can't call them what I want but I seem to have got them from wood chip mulch. I can't stand them.
Once they're here they are difficult to get rid of!
I used to drive around at Valentine’s Day and collect bags off cuttings from flower shops and compost them, the variety I think brings more life to the soil.
That would be a great green source.
Hello it’s me again with another question. And btw thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding of compost and leaf mulch. The question I have now is, I read that using oak leaves was not good for all flower gardens. Well that’s all I have are oak trees everywhere and all that I have mulched. Can I use these on my flower beds??? I have jonquils, Stella d’ors, roses, irises, pop up Lilly’s, daturas, trumpet trees and elephant ears to name a few. My friend mulched all of his for me along with grass clippings and they have been in bags all winter. Are these safe to use? Thanks you for much and I love your channel!!!!!
Hi Sharron - I would use oak leaves without hesitation. The only 'potential' problem I've heard about Oak leaves is that they can raise pH levels. I believe it was Michigan State that had a test pile for several years using Oak leaves, and they found no change in pH level. I got the study linked in my article on this topic.
You need chickens, will control the pests
Squash bugs were big in SE Michigan this end summer/ fall. Those things were everywhere
They were prolific here too. Other neighbors had the same issue.
Hi Joe, I followed your leaf instructions along with cardboard. You responded to my questions and helped so much. Now in watching this video I am relieved to see your mulch progress I have a small area and it looks just like yours❤. I cannot turn it a lot due to using a Walker and the wet leaves. I am using a pitch fork to turn as much as I can. Can I just rake back a bit and put seeds then just barely cover them? I am doing butterfly flowers etc. no veggies. I bought an auger to plant bulbs or small perennials. I wish I had known about this years ago when I was able to do this. Any suggestions? Thank you. I am a subscriber. Mary
Hi Mary - that would be the best way to germinate them. Rake them back, sprinkle seed...and then just walk on it so it has good contact with the soil. In Spring, the soil generally stays moist. I don't know what kind of mix you have, but if the seeds are tiny, they may need exposure to sunlight to germinate. I would try to keep leaves off of seeds, as they may smother any that germinate.
I’m just bc starting a leaf compost pile. Originally I wanted it for mulch but after watching your videos I’d like to be able to spread it in my flower beds for better soil. ( can this be done) also I was told to put soil from my yard and kitchen veggies in the pile. Am I confusing two different things or can I mix veggies from kitchen along with yard trimmings with the leaves? I also have an abundance of sawdust. Bottom line I’m asking am I getting compost mixed up with mulch? Thanks so much!
Hi Sharron - it sounds like you are confusing compost with leaf mulch. Compost takes the mix of green/browns/water/air and turns into, compost. Leaf mulch is just spreading leaves over a bed or garden. The leaf mulch will breakdown in place over the coming growing season, feeding your plants and acting as a weed barrier.
I would use the leaves as a natural mulch, as they are free, and prevent weeds. Then, use your sawdust, kitchen scraps, and whatever else you can get your hands on to make a compost pile. Know that it is hard to come by enough green material to get a hot pile during winter. Composting in Winter requires a much larger pile (4' diameter minimum) but still needs a lot of greens. I save kitchen scraps in buckets w/ lids, get coffee grounds from starbucks, and snag discarded pumpkins.
I read oak leaves may negatively affect the soil ph? I’m not sure if that would be significant enough to worry about but if that is what is in abundance to tuse for his same method, am wondering….?
have u tested before and after soil just out of curiosity? Other than visually…love your channel- thanks!
Hi, oak leaves don't effect pH. I actually cite Michigan State university study where they found the pH was unchanged after 2 years. See here -
growitbuildit.com/how-to-make-a-compost-pile/
The soapy water? Actual soap or dishwashing liquid or something else?
Hi - I used dish soap / water. As long as you are just spraying the bug itself and don't hit the flowers, no bees should be harmed.
There are different flowers you can plant to repel the squash bug. I'm going to try it this year. Great content I'm going to try this thank you
Thanks for the tip Justin - you will love leaf mulch
LOL... I guess you have realized by now that Squash bugs multiply every year and there is NO controlling them... The best thing we have found to do is plant multiple squash plants in various places throughout the garden as early as possible... get one good harvest from them and rip them out before the squash bugs get too bad... Then have some new seedlings ready to put in the ground in a few different locations and hopefully you can get a second squash harvest... Those pests seem to like the extreme heat so they don't show up in early spring or early fall... I don't know where you live but if you have a short growing season, this plan may not work for you.. Thanks for the video... It was very informative.
I actually came to learn that my main problem was the Squash Vine borer. The squash bugs certainly don't help anything, but I didn't have much of an issue with them this past year as I focused on killing vine-borer larvae in the stem.
Leaves are key to great soil. I tried this in fall of 2021. Had amazing soil this spring. I had squash bugs summer of 2021. This year I’m growing my cucumbers In raised beds. To keep an eye on them.
I couldn't agree more Jon. And I'm going to be extra vigilant on squash bugs n vine borers too.
I always have trouble with squash bugs and cucumber beetles. This year I sprayed Pyrethrum and Monterey Brand Organic insect spray. I was successful with protecting the squash but the cucumbers succumbed before I saw the damage.
Also, I’m noticing that my winter squash does much better when the temperature is below 90. I’m still getting butternut squash setting in mid September
Your thoughts
Hi Ben - This was the first year I had significant damage. I had seen damage at the base in years past, but never found a culprit. As far as temperature goes, I have trouble getting squashes to start producing before late June.
I did start more plants in mid-August, and have a couple zucchini plants that *might* bear some crop before frost really sets in. But we will see. The only squashes we grow as of now are cucumber, zucchini, and spaghetti squash. Well, we did grow a lot of gourds in some wild 'no-man's-land' forest that borders our property.
Growing up dad would raise the blade on the mower so that we would catch/bag more of the neighbors' leaves as they blew across the lawn. There would be a layer of grass clipping/leaves covering the entire 1/2 acre garden. Prior to planting, I would lightly rake off what was left of the clippings and add them to the previous season's compost pile. Wait a couple of weeks and then add compost to the garden and cover that with grass clippings.
That sounds like a good system. Did you have much problems with weeds? Or was the layer you left sufficient to suppress them?
Really good video. I have to build a new permaculture garden out front and was going to do kill the grass with plastic, Not to permaculturey I know.
I prefer cardboard to smother grass. It is by far the easiest way I've found to kill grass and prepare a garden or flower bed.
Been waiting for this video. The mulched leaves sure did help! Thanks
It is an amazing transformation. I love my leaves. I see no reason to ever stop doing this mulch
@@growitbuildit nor do I. It worked pretty near perfect. So happy for you. Thanks again.
Can having too many leaves upset the NPK ratio and where are "all the worms and good bugs"? Any problems with rodents hiding in the leaves to keep warm through the winter? Aside from that your plants and veg seem to be doing great!
Leaves don't upset NPK, they contain all nutrients. The worms are there, they help aerate and transfer material underground. No rodent problems.
Thank you for posting your instructional video's!! I live in northern North Dakota & this year was my 1st gardening experience. I haven't started a compost pile yet, should I start one this time of the year? We are starting to get frost during the night already. What would you suggest I do with the piles of compost this Winter ? Do you just pick up where you left off in the Spring, (which is about May)? Any other helpful hints would really help. Thank you greatly!
Hi Jeanita - I compost year round. Obviously I'm not in ND, but we do get a winter in PA. I compost year round. Even if my Compost nearly stops in winter once temps get below zero at night, I still add to it. So I just accumulate material, and come Spring everything gets decomposing again. If you don't mind looking at it, I would suggest you start now. If nothing else, you can get everyone's pumpkins in a month or so, which make a great green material.
It’s my understanding squash bugs don’t kill cucurbits. Look at your vine near the bottom and you will see their orange poop and you can be aggressive slice vertically into the vine and find the larvae gorging on the juicy inner core. Remove him (her) and no need to bury that wound it will heal and your plant will thrive. There are numerous videos so don’t fret. Cut the demons out and smash burn drown whichever make you feel good. My neighbors surely think I’m weird because I’m very vocal when I find one
Thank you for the tip Don! I will have to try that next year. I went from a huge squash bounty last year, to mediocre this year. I actually planted out some more cucumbers and zucchini in August, and those produced up until Halloween (almost). But, from what I've read, they lay their eggs in late Spring. So, would not have been a factor by August.
I always succession plant my squash and cucumbers because squash bugs usually take down my plants mid summer.
I planted more Butternut squash this year just to keep my supply up. I like the idea of doing that for zuc and cuc though
Thank-you - great video! I used leaf mulch in my garden before (although not to the extent that you did) and had very good results also. I also had more worms in my garden which I consider to be a plus. I think I'll try to add more this year to decrease the weeding since you said it helped so much.
The natural weed barrier is reason alone to do this!
Have you ever used KNF microbial solutions to see how that changes the speed and effectiveness of the leaves breaking down?
Hi Christopher - I've never tried it.
Oh my gosh, just love leaves in the fall. I run the lawn mower and mulch them with my grass ,bag it and dump it ontop of my garden beds. The squash bugs were fierce this year. I thought I got a jump on them in the spring by rubbing the eggs while on the leaves to kill them, but learned through another Gardner on you tube that I wasn't killing them at all doing it that way. He said their like bubble wrap and you have to use a hard tool on the front and back of the leaves simultaneously to kill the eggs. Otherwise you rubbing them off the leaves just makes them fall to the ground and they still survive. Great video! I believe the best garden is a deep mulch garden. I even use leaves on the bottom of my flower pots as a filler so I don't have to use that much potting soil.
Hi Nora - I removed leaves w/ squash bugs and actually threw them in the trash. I can't stand those little buggers. But I agree with everything you say about leaf mulch. I can't get enough of the stuff.
leaf mulching is a wonderful thing. not sure what state u live in. I live in
connecticut. Some of our towns use paper bio degrading leaf bags for curb side pickup other towns u rack ur leaves to the curb & the town sucks them up by a vacumn process & that process also mulches the leaves. Either process the town vehicles take the leaves to our town recycle piles for them to decompose over winter. Us as residents are free to go to these dumping sites in the spring with pails ,pick up trucks or even totes fill up ur containers (take as much as you would like or need & bring it home to spread in ur vegetable or flower gardens ). Those piles have been breaking down for year after year we all call it black gold. Maybe you can talk to ur town officials & work out something. I even use the black gold when i plant in containers mixing it with regular potting soil. Happy Gardening !!!!
Hi Bobbie - I'm in Pennsylvania. There are towns around here where you can go get leaf mold, and it is great stuff. I've gotten some from friends who had extra (I don't live in those towns).
Don't know if you noticed but you also had vine bores. They took over my vine crops this past summer.
Hi Terri - thank you. Several commenters have pointed that out to me. So, next year will begin a new battle!
The more fertile your soil becomes the more microbes that will grow inside of it. (fungi bacteria protozoa nematodes) The more microbes in the soil the more healthy the plant. The healthier the plant, the better it can resist sap suckers. Continue on what you're doing, and perhaps consider mixing in a few other materials and you'll see less infestation as the brix levels in your crops increase.
Thanks for the info Dean - I intend to keep right on adding leaf mulch indefinitely.
Are you still not having slug problems? We have a forest of slugs and go out at night with a flashlight to pick them off. If we do this three nights running every few weeks, that seems to make a big difference. I've tried every remedy and handpicking works best.
Hi, I still have not had slug problems. I did see some giant invasive slugs in a different part of our yard. But never have seen any damage from slugs. But I will remember what you said should I ever get them - so thank you for sharing.
Another mulch can b had from ur local arborist. I have found that they r willing to give away wood chips from their jobs. After about a year u will have beautiful black compost to mix into ur garden as an amendment.
That's a good tip - I may have to look into this.
Yes! ..Leaves are an incredible way to develop and maintain growth in the garden. I have been blessed with a large maple grove where I harvest maple leaves. ...Nice video. I hope it encourages others.
Thank you - I can't say enough positive things about leaves. It has done more for my soil than anything else.
I started this method last fall. One pretty serious issue I've run into is birds.
Robins and Grackles have been my nemeses. I haven't been able to keep an onion set or other seedling in the ground. Not that they go after them, but rooting through the leaves looking for worms and bugs, they either tear them out or cover them up. Direct seeding of things like carrots has been impossible due to them. Any plant starts have to be quite developed to survive the onslaught.
I can't possibly put bird netting around the entire garden, so I guess I'll have to find some other way to deal with them.
Hi Rob - I don't start that many plants from direct seeding. Mainly zuccini, squash, cucumber, lettuce. It has not been an issue for those, as I just rake away leaves and plant my seeds. It is no as in-depth as a row of carrots though. This year I did try beats by making a small trench and just filling it with compost. I've had plenty of germination, but not sure how the final yield will be.
I do have robins and bluejays in the leaves all day, everyday. But it has not been an issue, probably due to my limited seed-starts.
I think i would find a used chipper shredder better then the mower i have a 1970 toro yop load shredder and a kemp tjey give your a medium fine
A chipper would definitively be better than a mower. If I had access to one, I would use it.
I rake my neighbors leaves every fall. It's great for my garden and it is free. My neighbors get free labor and I get nutritious veggies.
That is a good trade Gerhard!
Nice progress! It's awesome to see that side-by-side comparison.
Some years are worse than others for squash bugs. I don't know that it can be pinpointed to the leaves or your neighbor. In my experience, whenever there's a heavy infestation in my garden, I ask around and find it's really bad throughout the whole area or even region.
Might be a good opportunity to consider inoculating your garden with beneficial microbes. Healthy, living soil makes for healthy plants; Bugs don't prefer super healthy plants. Just a thought.
Thanks so much for the update! Pretty exciting results!
You are welcome Lisa! I think you are right on the bugs. It was bad for lots of gardeners in my neighborhood this year. As far as my soil, it is very close to a forest, and have had plenty of tree roots through the garden. So I believe, or at least think I may have fairly healthy soil. If nothing else, I'm certain the top black layer is healthy. Thank you !
@@growitbuildit Of course! It's an awesome texture, without a doubt. I was more referring to the amount and variety of soil biology. Bacteria, fungi, arthropods, nematodes, etc. Bugs are always an indication of an imbalance in the ecosystem down there. Matt Powers and Elaine Ingham have some great videos on the subject, and they make it all really accessible. Soil science has catapulted forward the last decade and we know now that our previous understanding was way off. There's a whole other world in there and all kinds of crazy associations. It really is incredible, especially to see it on a microscope. So cool.
have you considered soaping your whole garden in the off season? you’ll lose some of the beneficial bugs but you would also kill any squash bug eggs laid in the mulch. the larvae is what kills the plant so if you had adults this season you’ll have them next season, you would have to kill them all before they lay eggs which is almost impossible. you could also use a garden pesticide but soap works and it’s safer for food gardens
Hi Jordan - my plan is to watch for the eggs very thoroughly next year and squish them before they hatch.
it was probably due to the fact that you didn't turn your leaves over winter.... that made it the perfect refuge for these pests...
I had actually found a patch of eggs on a tomato leaf earlier in the season. I removed and disposed of it, but I did not search other leaves. I think this was the biggest mistake. I didn't know it at the time, but have since learned that the eggs I found was the squash bugs.
The brown lawn bags at the ends of peoples driveways drive me crazy. The trees bring up so many nutrients from deep in the ground and deliver them to us every year via leaves. Use them don't lose them.
I view those bags as a super discount store!
Don't know if you have chickens or not. But if those squash bugs are nesting overwinter in the mulch, you might want to run chickens over it either in the fall or early spring. They should have no problem eating whatever bugs are in there, plus get a nice kick of fertilizer.
Hi - I have no chickens. I'm sure they would enjoy running around the garden though, as you say.
Did you have squash in that garden last year? I heard squash and potato bugs occur if you plant in the same spot twice
I have had squash for 4-5 years in a row. This was the first year I noticed them.
I have oak and maple leaves I have shredded. The maple break down much faster than the oak leaves. Should I not apply the oak leaves?
Hi Joseph - I would go right ahead and use them all. Even if the Oak take longer, they will serve as a barrier and break down eventually. Put it another way, for what reason wouldn't you add that fertility?
Can you water the mulch or just leave them as is/Does it or will it need water ? And can you compost in the fall/winter when the leaves are breaking down or leave them as is ?
Hi - I don't water it at all. It will get rained on quite a bit what keeps it thoroughly wet. I will do winter composting (separate from the mulch). Composting in winter just takes much more time.
Nice soil improvement.
Have you been adding more leaves every year or just the initial amount.
Hi - I do this every year. It has given me great results, and I absolutely love the fact that I don't have to weed my garden very much at all.
I live in a very sandy, dry area, slim to non rain. Would I need to water the leaves to get them to break down? And do you think it would amend the sand into something I could grow in and use as a garden eventually? Thanks!
Hi Meghann - this would certainly help improve sandy soil to hold water/nutrients. If you have a thick layer, the outer layer will be dry but the inside will stay moist. It will take a long time to break down, but enough leaves might be able to transform your sandy soil into something you could garden in. You just need to try.
I’m surprised the birds don’t pick up those juicy squash bugs
The squash bugs all seem to hide during the day under my leaf mulch! But I can't give up my mulch.
Awesome! Try a regular dusting of food grade diatomaceous earth on the plants and soil. It will help control the bugs and also add calcium to the soil.
I may have to try that this year. Several commenters noted that my main problem was likely the squash vine borer, which makes sense given the damage at the base of the stalk. So, I may have to wrap it in something.
Clover is not a weed, let in to add nitrogen.
Would I be able to plant partridge pea seeds under the leaf mulch in the fall, or would it be to difficult for the seeds to push through the leaves?
Hi London - I must say that I have never tried what you are proposing, so it is just my opinion. But I don't think that they would be able to push through a layer of leaf mulch that was several inches thick. Based on my experience, very little can push through that layer. Even today, I barely have to pull any weeds at all (still doing leaf mulch each year).
Can you use leaf mulch on the grass? I have a shady area that grass won’t grow in. Thank you.
To smother and kill the grass? Absolutely.
Every gardener should see this. Amazing!
Thank you Lukas!
It looks like you had squash vine borer and not what you were showing?
Hi Delphos - I agree with you. I did have squash bugs too - but the vine borer was definitely the main problem. Several other commenters pointed this out to me too. Thank you!
Can watering with soapy water help with the squash bugs and other pests for that matter,in the leaf mulch
I don't think watering with soapy water would help, but just going out at night and spraying. When you shake the plant they all start moving around.
Did you just add leaves in 2020 or as well in 2021? Is it OK to add every year?
I added them in 2019/2020/2021/ and have applied even more this year Warren.
Arbico Organics has a great product for the squash beetles.
Thank you - I may have to look into it