Subject: Re. Oak Leaf Mold
From: "Bill Robinson" <roseguy@flash.net>
Organization: gte.net
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 08:33:59 -0700
Message-ID: <MOD$980416.14604@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Tammy wrote:
Does any one knoww if oak leaf miold is too acidic to mulch on a
veggie garden? I have tons of it and am in need of mulch. I was tolld
oak leaves are very acidic. . .
"10,000 Garden Questions" by Marjorie Dietz has an interesting
comment, "Leafmold from oak leaves has long been considered the
ideal acidifying material for plants requiring an acid soil such as
rhododenruons, azaleas, and mountain-laurel. Recent experiments,
however, indicate that the assumption is incorrect. Oak leaf compost
the pH temporasrily, but after 45 days the pH value was higher than before
the application. However, there is no doubt that oak leaf mold is beneficial
to the growth of acid-loving plants. In soils high in humus, acid-soil
plants
can tolerate higher pH readings"
Most veggies like a pH ranghing from 6.0 to 7.0. Great quantities of
oak leaf mold would probably take the pH down closer to 5.5 ( a guess).
If you had a soil with a fairly high organic content, the veggies would
probably do O.K. with that kind of acidity. If your soil is low in organic,
you might be in trouble. One easy way would be to test the pH of your soil
and if you are significantly lower than 6.0, consider adding a little lime.
Bill