Maple leaves good? I've put a layer on some new raised beds for next year's squash and melons. Agree with Ted, tomatoes go best in containers, the level of control is far superior to in-ground growing.

Yes, maple leaves are fine. I use them in large quantities because I have so many maple trees here. Most are hard maple that yields a lot of "Curly Maple" wood. It's also good firewood. While I agree that containers give more "control", putting the plants into the ground gives more tomatoes and larger ones as well. Biggest in a container for me was about 24 ounces (Giant Tree). I've easily exceeded that with many common varieties.

Do a google or Bing search on "Juglone" and it'll give you a better understanding of which trees are dangerous to your gardens.

I picked up 5 of the paper yardwaste bags, dumped them out in the yard (how counter-intuitive is that!) then mowed over them with the rider.

I used my leaf/yard sweeper that pulls behind the mower to sweep them back up. I think I lost about a 1/3 of the volume after chopping them to bits with the mower, the sweeper couldn't pickup up the tiny pieces.

Anyway, I got about 10x 5-gal buckets worth of chopped up oak and maple leaves; tons of acorns also. I added to a 20x5 ft raised bed, then turned it over with a shovel. There is TONS of organic matter now, esp. since I had mulched with straw this season.

I have greens and potatoes planted in the other 30x5ft bed, so I can't mulch that side, will be interesting to see how the soil compares come spring.

thanks for all the advice.

[URL="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n9OhxKlrWwc"]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n9OhxKlrWwc[/URL]
Do not fear if you can not till or shovel it into your spot.
Just pile it on now. It's how it works naturally just look around the woods.

You are still growing potatoes? Do you store your potatoes in the ground? I finally pulled mine about 3 weeks ago.Tops were still green but I was anxious to eat them and didn't want to chance them rotting.

- Lisa

[QUOTE=pecker88;600397]I picked up 5 of the paper yardwaste bags, dumped them out in the yard (how counter-intuitive is that!) then mowed over them with the rider.

I used my leaf/yard sweeper that pulls behind the mower to sweep them back up. I think I lost about a 1/3 of the volume after chopping them to bits with the mower, the sweeper couldn't pickup up the tiny pieces.

Anyway, I got about 10x 5-gal buckets worth of chopped up oak and maple leaves; tons of acorns also. I added to a 20x5 ft raised bed, then turned it over with a shovel. There is TONS of organic matter now, esp. since I had mulched with straw this season.

I have greens and potatoes planted in the other 30x5ft bed, so I can't mulch that side, will be interesting to see how the soil compares come spring.

thanks for all the advice.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=greenthumbomaha;600700]You are still growing potatoes? Do you store your potatoes in the ground? I finally pulled mine about 3 weeks ago.Tops were still green but I was anxious to eat them and didn't want to chance them rotting.

- Lisa[/QUOTE]

I ordered some seed potatoes from burpee in early July thinking I'd plant on Aug 1st in the greenhouse. I finally got them on Oct 1st, and planted immediately. I thought they would do fine since I have a propane heater out there. Even with the 70-80s weather in Oct, they never came up.

I have the heater set on 40 at night, still didnt' matter. I dug one up yesterday and the sprout was only 1/8" long, so they would def. rot before they grow.

Lesson learned, potatoes planted on Oct 1st in zone 5b in heated hoop house doesn't work.