Alabama Gardening Gardening in Shade Garden Restoration

Using Mulch Under Oak Trees: what do I do with the oak leaves?

3 years ago

I have a garden bed that is underneath 8 large oak trees. It has azaleas, gold dust plants, liriope, hosta, and mahonia planted in it, so I want to keep it weeded. But the thick layer of oak leaves that drops every fall makes it very difficult to weed (virginia creeper, poison ivy, redbud seedlings, etc.).

What would you do? Commit to blowing the oak leaves out every fall and use mulch? Or just live with the oak leaf layer? If so, how would you keep it weeded? I strongly prefer not to use Roundup.

If we put down a layer of mulch, we won't be able to rake the leaves out without raking out the mulch too. But after a good rain, oak leaves become difficult to blow because they turn into a mat. Experience or advice appreciated!

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Comments (5)

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
3 years ago
Leave the leaves there as part of the mulch.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
Skip the purchased mulch and just use the leaves. They make an exceptional mulch all on their own and are just as weed suppressing as any bark mulch
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docmom_gw
3 years ago
Ditto.
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
3 years ago
We had a 4 acre place with tons of old oak trees. We never raked them up. The previous owners didn't either. This was on the FL coast with sandy soil. All the nieghbors kept their leaves raked and complained about their horrible sandy soil. Guess who had the best dark rich soil full of earthworms?
Kimberly Wendt (Florida Z. 10b)
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Just now saw this thread, so I'm late to the convo. I'm in 10b south florida and I use one of those battery operated leaf chippers? mulchers? to chew up our oak leaves. We have a literal forest of avocado trees... that grow like weeds in our 'oak leaf amended soil' (much like @sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish) said above. Now that I'm putting in a front garden... I'm going to put them on my rose beds as mulch. I've heard it's great!