I took off Corn stalks. We had flash flood last summer. Got 30-40 wheel barrels off. Put in compost area. We're to have colder temps starting Monday. Snow

I moved some leaves off of the crowns of some plants already, but I don't plan to do much more than that as we're going to have temps in the low 20s at night for another week. Most of my tulips, daffodils, and alliums have nubs popping up through the leaves and I have uncovered some of those that I've spotted.

I don't mulch over crowns of perennials, instead placing mulch around them to keep temperatures and moisture even and so I never have to remove it. Bulbs always come up through the mulch, though any leaves I place on the beds have been shredded with the lawnmower, not placed on whole. Occasionally I have to remove a whole leaf that has blown in to the bed when bulb foliage is coming through it and being constricted, but otherwise I don't move it. Not currently in OH, but I did the same when I lived there.

I don't pack mulch on top of my perennials either only around them, just wondering about the bulbs. Some seem late in coming up this Spring but of course it could be our cold temps still hanging around like koszta and arlene mentioned. Guess I'm just anxious because I planted so many new ones last Fall.

My leaf mulch is shredded. I used to put a thick layer of whole leaves over the veg garden in the Fall, then remove them about this time or early April. It kept the weeds at bay. If there was any bits and I'd till those under, but I let the garden go back to nature two years ago.

I'm still learning how best to deal with the natural leaf "mulch" we get in late fall as a result of being surrounded on all sides by trees. Here is what the yard usually looks like in late November, and the last couple of years I've let it go for the season and then gone out in late winter/early spring to uncover the crowns of any plants that are suffocating. Some of the leaves are about the size of my hand (not sure what kind of tree it is that they fall from) and I know some of the perennials don't appreciate it. I think I lost the geranium (Rozanne) I planted in the fall as a result of its being matted under leaves. Also found quite a few slugs in the leaves this year...ick. In another few weeks they'll all go into the compost.

schoolhouse, hopefully your bulbs are on their way. Most of my tulip nubs are still tiny, about an inch or so.

Thanks arlene, I am seeing more tulips now too; guess I'm just so anxious for warmer weather that it could be a little too early for some. Plus I took a stick and poked around and pushed aside some of the mulch yesterday and I think I see tunnels or some type of disturbance in one bed. This is the reason I always hesitate to spend money on tulips, they get eaten; but succumbed to the boxes of bulbs with the pretty pictures on them last year. ha.

About the leaf mulch, a friend told me that once too - that leaves can put alot of nitrogen in the soil and some plants don't care for that. Could be, but I do know since I started putting them down in an area I was trying to build up the soil in, the soil is getting nice and dark. I assume that means healthy, maybe not.

Arlene, We deal with our leaves with the lawn mower. DH lets the grass grow a bit as the majority of the leaves are coming down, and then mows. If they are too heavy, or I am looking for extra material for the compost pile, he puts the bagger on the mower and empties it into the compost pile. If it's not too heavy, he mows the lawn several times in different directions and just lets the combination of leaves and grass remain on the lawn. The multiple mowings creates pieces no larger than a dime that just sift down into the grass and feed the lawn and having a combination of grass and leaves mixed helps it start breaking down sooner, whether in the compost or left on the lawn. It always amazes me how much the chopping/mowing reduces the volume.