How do you keep the wind from blowing it all away? I was thinking of laying out the leaves then tenting with poly. As soon as it snows and dampens down the leaves I could remove the poly. I would be afraid to leave it buried under 2 feet of snow for fear of rot. Ideas?

They don't blow away once they are whetted down. So a good rain really helps!

OH. Silly me. I could sprinkle them with the hose. Our hoses are still out rolled up by the house but drained and disconnected from the faucet though. Getting ready to move into the shed.

The soggier they are the better, if you're putting them somewhere open on all sides. Up against a building, in a moist climate, if the wind is not very high, you're good to go.

I agree, fallen leaves are wonderful mulch and fabulous soil amendment material. And, they're free for the gathering. But there was one year I spent hours collecting fallen leaves to mulch a new garden that was in a very open area, in an extremely dry climate. I wet them down copiously and thoroughly but they did all blow away all over that flat land beyond. Three times. So, I gave that up, in that spot, with great regret!

I also live in a dry climate. I have found when I shred the leaves I have collected, they stay put ... The wind doesn't seem to get under the shredded leaves and move them away from the rose beds.

I may not have the same kind of wind issues you have, Kyla, because my primary gardening area, the house pad, was cut out of a slope. I can hear the wind roaring through the trees at the top of the slope, but, although there is wind in the garden, it doesn't seem to be as strong.

My garden is more open, now, because neighbors have removed trees, but the shredded leaves still seem to stay put.

This year I am using wood chips for the garden because of the drought. Leaves just dried up too quickly to serve as good mulch material. I collect my wood chips from the utility company's chipping pile, so I know they have not been treated with anything. They, too, decompose and feed the soil. It just takes longer.

Next year, if the drought is not so severe, I'll go back to leaves. I've found changing mulch materials seems to be better in my garden.

Smiles,
Lyn

We get wicked wind on my 'slope'-- redistributes everything for me, too, regardless of what I do.
In the spring I clean up deep, soggy leaf piles (and garbage) along walls and in alcoves/sheltered spots and relocate it to finish composting somewhere.
I do leave most all my perennials standing shaggy for winter. It helps to hold whatever I'm using for mulch, and they kinda mulch themselves some that way as they die back. It looks like crap but I get better survival for the herbaceous types.

Lyn, that wind situation was several years in the past and in Northern California, actually (Siskiyou County). Here, I doubt it's like that. Also, I had no way at that time to shred those lovely, large, sail-like maple leaves I was trying to use.

Kyla,

I live in Trinity County.

I don't have a leaf shredder and don't have a lawn mower. I shred my leaves by putting them into a garbage can and using my weed eater ... I guess you could say it's kind of like putting them into a blender.

Dirt, I wish I could follow your method in this garden, but I have to go out and glean my mulch materials and haul it home.

It's always something.

Smiles,
Lyn

do you use fresh leaves or composted ones?

Both. If the leaves are large enough for the wind to blow around, I shred them. If they have decomposed sufficiently that they will stay put, I don't bother and just put them down.

I have found that with big maple leaves, if I bag them in black garbage bags, wet, in fall they have fully decomposed to black gold by spring in my climate.

Smiles,
Lyn

I use freshly fallen leaves from each fall. There are loads of them to have and they are free.

Rita ...

I have to go out and glean my mulch. I can't buy it up here. I usually go to a friend's place. I like to go before the current year's leaf fall so that I can gather leaves that have been out for a whole winter and summer and are either fully decomposed or partially decomposed. I've found they are easier for me to work with than fresh leaves.

Smiles,
Lyn

RoseBlush1 said:Rita ...

I have to go out and glean my mulch. I can't buy it up here. I usually go to a friend's place. I like to go before the current year's leaf fall so that I can gather leaves that have been out for a whole winter and summer and are either fully decomposed or partially decomposed. I've found they are easier for me to work with than fresh leaves.

Smiles,
Lyn

That sounds good. Around here I have to get them in the fall while they are around. Otherwise they are all gone.