Leaves as mulch

[eastwood2007]

I think we've talked about this before, but I can't find it....

Can you use dried leaves for mulch for hosta beds?

If so..
-do they need to be shredded or can they be left whole?
-do you mulch around the hostas when they are leafed out?
-" " over the top of them after they've gone dormant? If so do you mulch over the crown?
-how deep to you put them?

I've heard that decomposing leaves draw the nitrogen out of the soil and you need to add some back. When would I do that?

We had such a wet winter last year...will leaves promote crown rot?

Thanks in advance for assistance!

[Chris_W]

Hi Charla,

I used to use leaves as mulch at our old place all the time and it never hurt the hostas at all. We would pile up the leaves on top of the beds after the hostas were completely dormant and then shred them with our mulching mover, or for those beds that were harder to get the mower into, we would pile them up on the lawn then shred them with the mower and spread them out.

The only hostas that seemed to have a hard time poking up through the leaves the next spring were the minis, but they seemed to adjust fine.

As for the winter, a layer of mulch will actually help to insulate and keep the ground frozen better, avoiding much of the freeze/thaw cycle that damages plants, so the mulch should help.

We always do an application of Milorganite in the spring, just as the eyes start to poke up. It is a high nitrogen fertilizer that gives all the hostas a nice boost in the spring.

Hope that helps!

Chris

[whip1]

Leaves or other mulch on top of the soil will not draw any nitrogen from the soil. The problem with nitrogen binding is when the mulch is mixed into the soil.

I've used leaves as mulch, and had really good results.

[hostanquilts]

We have lots of oak & hickory nut trees & have a leaf vac & mulcher that we pull behind the lawn tractor & I was thinking about using the shredded leaves to put around the hosta. I was wondering, do I need to leave an inch around the base of the hosta like you would regular mulch, or is it ok to put them up agains the base of the hosta?

[whip1]

We have lots of oak & hickory nut trees & have a leaf vac & mulcher that we pull behind the lawn tractor & I was thinking about using the shredded leaves to put around the hosta. I was wondering, do I need to leave an inch around the base of the hosta like you would regular mulch, or is it ok to put them up agains the base of the hosta?

I just pile the leaves on the entire bed. I've never had a problem.

[Linda P]

I live on a windy hilltop, and most of my leaves end up blowing away. I use my lawn mower to chop them up and blow them towards the flower beds, and also get bags of shredded leaves every year from Dad's house in town. I put them on as they come out of the bag, except when the sycamore leaves start falling. Somehow those don't get shredded very well, and have to go in the compost for a while. I've also use composted leaves as a spring mulch. They don't hurt the hostas at all. I have a vole problem from time to time, so I don't like to put them on too thick, and give the critters more hiding places.
Linda P

[KellieD]

One thing I really like aboout a leaf mulch is how much earthworm activity it encourages.

[Ginger]

When my hosta were in the ground instead of pots I let the leaves lay where they fell every fall. Since my hosta were all planted under trees, they made a nice 2 inch blanket over the top of the ground. I would rake them off in early spring before the hosta came up, and leave them in a big pile for awhile, just in case a frost came along, then I could just take handfuls of the leaves and put them right back on top of the emerging hosta. Now that they are in pots, I don't have to worry about frosts, I can just pick up the whole plant and put it in the shed
So if you have leaves use those baby's!

Ginger

[hostanquilts]

Chris you said "We always do an application of Milorganite in the spring".

I was wondering how much do you put on each plant? I have several hundred hosta & I was looking at the milorganite at Menard's the other day & it is almost $8 a bag; so I was wondering about how much per application so I can get an idea as to how many bags I'll need to get. Thought I might start this winter collecting it, so not so expensive all at one shot.

[Mary Ann]

Jan, Milorganite doesn't go ON the plants but on the soil and mulch. One bag goes a long way and it stays useable as long as it's kept dry. You could get it during one of Menard's 'bag sales' but it may not be available during the off-season. Maybe Lucy Goose would know if they stash it away for the winter.

[eastwood2007]

Jan, I have about 250 hostas and I don't go thru a 50lb. bag of Milorganite for one feeding. I do sprinkle it around the base of the hostas...not sure how much, just 'some.' It is pretty mild so I haven't had any problem with burning or anything and my hostas do better with it than anything else I have used.

Thanks for all the tips on the leaves as mulch. I'm going to go leaf 'shopping' in town again this year!

[hostanquilts]

What I was planning on doing, was sprinkle it around the eyes about they time they are emerging in the spring (April/May) time frame and then possibly again in July.... don't know if that is over kill or not. Some of my hosta this year were really smaller then they were last year & I didn't get anything put on them this year except Miracle Grow that I put in the sparyer & sprayed on them several times.
I was gone July & August last summer, so they didn't get watered good or fertilized & I want to give them a good start next year.