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Connecticut

I have been hearing rumors that this year due to the high occurrence of disease on Maple trees that I should not use these leaves in the garden. (I think the disease in question is Anthracnose.) I was wondering if anyone could find any scientific articles proving/disproving this idea. A true scientific paper should have a reference to a report that is in a published journal.

Keep in mind that we are growing pumpkins not Maple trees.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

9/27/2006 8:11:30 AM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

I have always heard that maple leaves are best because they break down fast and don't mess up your PH. I do know that sycamore and cottonwoods commonly have anthracnose, but I have not heard of that in maples. At least not in my area.

9/27/2006 8:35:03 AM

Waquoit Mass

ben hebb had a problem with maple leaves a few years ago.the leaves as you said had disease. if they look bad pass on em

9/27/2006 8:39:55 AM

Montoursville, PA

Any thing that was once living can be composted...given proper handling and temperatures. If a problem occured using leaves the problem was mis-identified or the leaves were mis-handled in the process.

The smaller the pieces of leaves the faster they will decompose in the mix of soil additives or in the compost piles.

9/27/2006 8:47:53 AM

Ohio

Doc, If there is a disease on the leaves will the disease still survive even if the compost reaches it desired temp?

Brooks

9/27/2006 8:58:48 AM

Somers, CT

I had diseases when I started using leaf compost too. I used manuer and everything grew well. This and $3.99 will get you a coffee at Starbucks.

9/27/2006 3:05:31 PM

Montoursville, PA

Brooks...........We worry to much about a whole bunch of baloney that gets cast upon these winds.

The basics never change. Manure, leaves, remineralization, and cover crop. Composted anything is better than raw anything. Aerobic anything is better than anaerobic anything yet all conditions will eventually make good soil as the building process proceeds.

All of the pathegons are with us, in our soils and floating about in the wind or bouncing off the neighbors hell hole all the time. Healthy soil and decent management on the business end of common sense solves most problems.

9/27/2006 3:32:01 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

the ONLY reason my email is what it is...is because of the raking! Really I LOVE maple leaves! LOL

9/28/2006 2:31:11 AM

Montoursville, PA

All leaves in the forest fall to the ground and become litter and eventually rot...however it is a mixed litter in an unmanaged forest. Nature never grows or mulches her forest floor with just one kind of leaves.

The great grasslands were not monoculture one type grasses. There were many plants represented when the first wagon wheels started to ruin those grasslands. The animal counts were mixed and ballanced.

Gardens and your patches will do better with mixed growing which is now called rotation. Your manures can be mixed as well as your mulches and cover crops. Monoculture techniques only rung out the strength of the soil and replaced the mixed plant growth and mixed animal populations with same seed and farm animals year after year. The more variety you can have in your compost the better your compost will be. Nature is a natural mixer. We should be too.

10/2/2006 10:44:39 PM