Dried leaves as overwintering mulch?

[Atom#28]

Can I use the dry fallen leaves from *healthy* trees on my property as an overwintering mulch, or is it "better" to use some kind of storebought product? My plan is to overwinter my trees on the ground at the south wall of my house, buried up to the lowest foliage with mulch.

 

[Stan Kengai]

Leaves tend to hold too much water and harbor fungus. Cypress mulch is one of the best bets. Less fungal issues and the smell wards off many pests.

You want to keep dormant plants out of direct sunlight, especially if the rootball is frozen. North facing wall is best.

 

[Atom#28]

North facing wall is best.

Thank you. I'll look for some Cypress mulch. I'm an idiot. I am set up on the north wall.

 

[Tieball]

I’ve used a Cedar chips. But I honestly don’t remember much about the moisture part. I mulched them and didn’t visit again until the start of spring. It worked well as I remember though. I tried White Pine needles once...never again....lots of mildew type growth....mice liked the cozy home though....the trees ended up fine but what a mess to clean up. Now I just use a windbreaker. It blocks sunlight, eliminates the way-below windchills, but still keeps the overall winter chill going. Works for me.

 

[Cable]

I tried it and lost a bunch of trees. I think part of the problem is that They don't freeze solid enough to provide an adequate buffer against early warming.

 

[CWTurner]

I've used them for 4-5 years with no problems.
CW

 

[Forsoothe!]

Leaves tend to hold too much water and harbor fungus. Cypress mulch is one of the best bets. Less fungal issues and the smell wards off many pests.

You want to keep dormant plants out of direct sunlight, especially if the rootball is frozen. North facing wall is best.

I disagree on both counts, or maybe one and a half counts. Dried leaves are great with oak being the best because they last for years. Maple and elm will get soggier, but still work for me. All my trees are set on the ground in the garden in full sun where they will leaf out ~naturally~ when the whole neighborhood does. Those in more protected areas need to be introduced back to the sun slowly or the expanding bud edges and/or leaf edges that came out in the protected or shady area will get cripsy when moved to the sun. By June 1st the sun is too intense for Japanese Maples to be in full day exposure, so I move them until the 3rd week of August into protected positions. "Against a south brick wall" may encourage breaking dormancy earlier than the neighborhood and can be damaged by a sudden deep cold spells. Cypress mulch works just fine, sure, but leaves are free.

 

[Eckhoffw]

My first winter as well. I was thinking about surrounding trees with bagged leaves making kind of a bunker or break wind perimeter and then mulching up and over pots.
Furthermore, any thoughts on doing this under a large white pine out back for more protection?

 

[Joe Dupre']

I don't know about the weather protection offered by cypress mulch, but don't count on it for insect protection. The protective compound that cypress is known for only occurs in trees hundreds of years old. They are most definitely NOT chopping those types of trees into mulch. What VERY little virgin cypress lumber you find here can run $10.00 a board foot.......sometimes much more.

 

[Dav4]

For those in colder climates, I would recommend wood chip mulch over leaves, mainly because it’s increased weight/density means it’ll stay put all winter, not compact, and has more thermal mass which, in turn, provides more buffering from sharp changes in temperature. I used hardwood mulch every winter for over a decade in MA... acquired free from the local tree guys who gladly dumped a pile in my yard whenever I asked.

 

[Tieball]

For those in colder climates, I would recommend wood chip mulch over leaves, mainly because it’s increased weight/density means it’ll stay put all winter, not compact, and has more thermal mass which, in turn, provides more buffering from sharp changes in temperature. I used hardwood mulch every winter for over a decade in MA... acquired free from the local tree guys who gladly dumped a pile in my yard whenever I asked.

Good point on the leaves blowing around.

 

[Forsoothe!]

If you hose down the leaves after you have set them in place, they more or less get stuck together and do not blow around. Oak less so, but almost all others form a nice mat. This makes a really nice mouse shelter, so I can't emphasize strongly enough putting out bait. If you have a lot of natural shelter in the immediate area, like nice, mature landscaping that "hides" ground. I have a lot of Hosta and small elephants could hide out there. I put the bait in a disposable plastic container like you buy food or candy in that snaps shut keep the bait dry. I cut a 1 1/2" diameter hole in one end and put a wire cage over that with a 12 x 12" cement patio block on top to keep it locked to the ground and rain off. The mice can walk through the wire cage, but Raccoons & Possum can't steal the bait. Last year a critter was raiding my traps every night and cleaning me out, every night. I have ten of these around the yard, so he stole about $4 worth every night. After a week I stopped feeding him. I figured he was either dead or too big to kill with $25 worth of bait.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I use oak leaves and just gather the trees together in a shaded area, pile the leaves on them up to their first branches. I also sponkle some Mole/Vole chaser on them to keep the critters from gnawing in them.

 

[Dav4]

I use oak leaves and just gather the trees together in a shaded area, pile the leaves on them up to their first branches. I also sponkle some Mole/Vole chaser on them to keep the critters from gnawing in them.

That's what I do now in N GA... in zone 6 A MA, I'd be using wood chips.

 

[NoTopSkies]

Hmmm, I have about 25 Bur Oaks on my property. They hold their leaves quite awhile this time of year though. All are very green still.

 

[leatherback]

Happy I have only moderate winters. Cold winters get me -20c as coldest (-4F). I put my deciduous in a corner of the yard, out of direct sun and wind once they are bare. Leave them there till spring wakes them up. Only medeteraneans get extra protection. But maples, larch, crapapples, beech etc don't get anything. My junipers just stay where they are.

 

[Daniel son STL]

I second the leaves. It’s what I’ve always done.
Every year I usually will have a few trees that I purchased from a green house that keeps them around 30-40 degrees during winter and protected from freezing winds. Those trees I’ll keep better protected the first winter in my garage where it’s a bit warmer, set up by the car entry door. Pop the door open every day for sun light.