Are the beds really 3 feet deep around the trees and against the trunks? If so, that will likely kill the trees in time.

tj

I leave leaves all over the place!..they improve the soil which benefits the plants..keeps me from walking in mud..serve as nests for insects..I'd leave them..

we do clear the roof, deck and driveway..and take a top layer off the beds if they're too heavy..what small areas we mow we mow over the leaves..been doing things this way for 17 years..

TS, I think the OP means 3' from edge of the bed to the trunk, not deep as in inches of mulch.

OP, I would leave them - if the amount seems too heavy or is a matted wet solid layer, rake them out, mow over them (catch in the lawnmower bag) then toss back into the bed.

Nicholsworth-yes, the beds are 3 ft deep & right up against the trunk. I’ll get a pic. Do either of you know if my ajugas will keep on creepin on if I leave the leaves or do they need bare soil to grab onto?

Amazing how much we forget &I was literally just outside! 😄 So the soil has sunk a bit since the it & the pavers were added, but the stacked beds circling the trunks I guess would make it about 3 ft., from actual ground level.

Ah, 3' deep away from the trunks, not 3' deep height of beds.

What kinds of plants you got there?

3 ft. RADIUS from the trunks maybe? In gardening, 'deep' is always vertical. I see about 8-12" rise in elevation from the ground level outside the bed to the ground level right at the trunk base.

Anyway, from the pics there are not that many leaves in there. Leaves can inhibit growth though, so you'll have to watch and see if the ajuga is coming up like it should.

Doggone silver maples. I feel your pain.

I dunno about always. My flat beds are WxD, in the two dimensions on the ground. Like I have a 15'Wx12'D bed. Raised beds are WxLxD. Like 5'Wx8'Lx28"D. Also pretty common for it to be DxWxH- 5'Dx8"Wx28"H.

Depth is often used to mean how deep you reach into a bed rather then the depth of the soil.

Different gardeners with different quirks of language :)

Grammar Police! This one right here. ^^

"Yes sir. We exist to correct and serve!"

:-P

Lol tox, you are the one that had to hand out the grammar ticket on the meaning of depth always being vertical. Depth has more than one meaning, and other members seemed to be ok with it being the depth of field meaning instead the vertical one.

my ajuga comes up through leaves..I can see it in person..hard to see in this pic..

it's on the way..the dark leaves at the top of the pic..

I agree with tj..don't bury your trees with mulch or soil..trees should have basal flare..don't change the grade within the dripline..my leaves haven't changed the grade..they decompose..there's leaf litter but the trees don't look like telephone poles..

Nicholsworth oh I see so the first few feet diameter around the base of each tree is clear of leaves.

Beesneeds yes, I thought the bed’s height was about 3’, I said depth, my apologies & thanks for the enlightenment,

I have hosta guacamole, heuchera, ajugas, Japanese painted ferns, a rhododendren & Japanese bloodgood (further back toward porch), lungwort, a hydrangea endless summer, peonies, sedum autum joy and a plant similar to a tiger eye sumac but I forget its actual name

I will consider removing all that, thanks. All 3 silver maples (theres one more in back of house) get black tar spots on their leaves each year. Been happening since before I added the the raised beds directly around their trunks- which I forgot to mention, I have Jap. hakoni grass planted in there. The big beds were put in by my boyfriend’s mom about 20 yrs ago, who we bought the house from.

None of the aforementioned plants in either of these big beds (except the hostas) really thrive to their full potential, once summer hits, despite getting watered deeply several times a week if no rain (but only after soil is slightly drier than damp). I had a huge clump of ajugas going one year that took up the front half of the bed but then 2 summers ago we got a really hot, dry summer & despite my frequent watering, most died except for a few stragglers. Perhaps more soil to replace what’s eroded & an application of slow mo fertilizer are in order this year.

Maples are terrible if you want to grow anything near them. I have a mature maple and the roots dominate everything around them. I gave up trying to grow perennials near them. The only thing that thrives are big plants planted maybe 10' away.

I would leave the leaves. I use leaves as mulch all over my yard and it doesn't seem to cause problems. Makes the soil better.

to be honest I like to see the base of a tree..I haven't planted near my trees..

"perhaps more soil.."..I doubt if you need it..