Leaves and Grass Clippings
Nontraditional Soil Amendments
LEAVES AND GRASS CLIPPINGS
Rather than compost the leaves and grass they collect, some municipalities prefer to pay farmers to spread them on their fields. In addition to providing an income stream, these materials add organic matter to soils, as well as some nutrients. Because leaves have a very high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, the nitrogen they contain will be mineralized (become plant-available) very slowly. Leaf application also could lead to immobilization of soil nitrogen and a temporary shortage of nitrogen for crops. Leaves picked up in urban and suburban areas often contain some inert contaminants such as plastic bags, bottles, cans, and other municipal trash items. Another management issue with on-farm leaf mulching is timing of spreading operations. Most leaves will arrive late in the fall and must be spread within 7 days. This could interfere with harvesting operations.
