Compost & Mulch: Oak Leaves and Pine Needles (5103)

Wondering what to do with all those oak leaves and pine needles? They make great additions to your garden and compost pile.

Oak leaves and pine needles won't make your compost pile and soil too acidic. Both of these plant wastes have a minimal effect on the pH, or, acidity level of the soil. Pine needles make excellent mulches in flower and vegetable gardens or around trees and shrubs. A three- to six-inch layer prevents weed growth. Mulching with evergreen needles also helps to conserve soil moisture, adds organic matter, and prevents erosion.

Oak leaves are very tough and break down slowly. Shred the leaves with your lawn mower or shredder to speed up decomposition. You can till shredded leaves right into your flower or vegetable gardens in the fall. These leaves will decompose over winter, improving the soil for next season's garden. You can also add the shredded leaves to your compost pile.

Shredded leaves also make an excellent mulch. Use them as winter protection for roses. Or bag the dry leaves and save them for next summer's garden. You can store bagged leaves behind shrubs or under evergreen trees.

But what if you have more leaves than you can possibly compost? Don't worry, you can leave most of the oak leaves on the lawn. Chop the leaves into small pieces with the lawn mower. Repeat several times until the leaves are no longer visible on the lawn. The small leaf pieces will fall to the soil and eventually decompose. This adds beneficial organic matter to the soil and will also maintain the acidity of the soil, which is important to the oak trees. If you have too many leaves you may need to bag the leaves for transport to a community recycling center.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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