Mulch?

[shelkol]

I can fix things but don't understand dirt! I have piles of leaves that have been decomposing over the years, I occasionally turn them over. I have mixed in a little subsoil which I have piled up. I put some of this out, but it doesn't seem to grow grass very well.

What should I do to the pile of leaves to get usable soil out of them?

Thanks

 

[Biker1mike]

Some green matter will help. Grass clippings and kitchen vegetable waste turned in the mix will help.
You can add nitrogen but I refuse to spend money on a mulch pit.
Watering every now and then, if feasible.

 

[PHPaul]

What your are making is compost.

Compost is NOT soil. It's an amendment for soil and performs two primary functions:

1. It'll help sandy soil hold water, and:
2. It'll help lighten heavy clay soils.

It can also, in certain situations help plants take up nutrients. It can be used as mulch but works best when mixed with natural soil.

 

[RCW]

I agree with Paul. There isn’t any substitute for some decent screened topsoil when trying to seed in a lawn.

I prefer plain oat straw or sometimes peat moss to mulch on top of the seed.

 

[FattyArbuckle]

Nothing happens at first because it's too cold during the winter here but over the summer it successfully turns to compost. I usually turn it or rototill it a couple times over the summer and I have compost for the next year. I add kitchen vegetable scraps and some Garden waste. Other than that, it's just leaves and it's successful. Grass clippings would increase nitrogen content but that's too much work for me!
Make sure your compost looks like dirt and has no leaves. Have a separate pile for wood as it takes longer. My uses are soil amendment and starter pots.

 

[OntheRidge]

I would add, check the ph, most leaves are acidic, grass likes a more alkali soil.

 

[RCW]

I would add, check the ph, most leaves are acidic, grass likes a more alkali soil.

True - absent any soil testing I learned to do a couple inches of topsoil followed by seed, lime, pelletized fertilizer. Then a little rake and finally a mulch.

 

[shelkol]

Thanks for all your input!

 

[Alfred_2345]

What kind of trees do the leaves come from? I'm not a green thumb either so I was surprised to learn this:

Black Walnut: The Killer Tree

Juglone produced by black walnut trees can injure or kill susceptible plants. The symptoms include yellowing leaves, wilting and eventual death of those plants.

www.extension.iastate.edu

It seems the chemical breaks down after a few months when exposed to air.
Don't know if other trees have similar properties but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[shelkol]

What kind of trees do the leaves come from? I'm not a green thumb either so I was surprised to learn this:

Black Walnut: The Killer Tree

Juglone produced by black walnut trees can injure or kill susceptible plants. The symptoms include yellowing leaves, wilting and eventual death of those plants.

www.extension.iastate.edu

It seems the chemical breaks down after a few months when exposed to air.
Don't know if other trees have similar properties but I wouldn't be surprised.

It is primarily maples and oaks.