Hazlenut - First off, let me say thanks for all of the info that you've linked on the Permaculture forum. I'm totally new to the concept and am trying to get my feet wet.
I've been gardening 20+ years - mostly shade gardening - in an oak/hickory wooded area in NW IN. I've always done a massive cleanup of (mostly) oak leaves in the spring because my garden beds are densely planted (old school). I do have a chipper/shredder that DH hauls out after lots of cajoling to help reduce the massive piles of leaves and branches. And, after spending a few weeks gathering up all of the oak leaves (because they do a great job of smothering), I then have to mulch with the shredded leaves. Do you know of a website/link that might address this situation to make it a little easier to manage? I don't use weedkillers and I rarely fertilize so would like to get the soil in top condition. Would appreciate it if anyone can point me in the right direction.
