Mulched leaves can help microbes do soil magic

Q: With the advent of the cold temperatures last week, our neighbor's ash tree finally dropped most of its leaves. I went over to ask if I could have them for a gardening project, they jumped at the chance to get their yard tidied up. I took my nifty mulching mower over and mowed the whole yard, making pretty quick work of the cleanup. I want to use the mulched leaves in an area that we've decided to make into a vegetable garden. My question is, should we turn the leaves into the ground now or use them as more of a top dressing to keep our new earthworms cozy this winter? — F.C., Albuquerque

A: You get the helping hand, good neighbor gold star.

Granted, you're going to reap the rewards of helping to tidy things up, but good on you. Here's how I think you should use your bonanza.

I'm thinking you've turned the area once already since you added earthworms, and that's great. Now I'll suggest you spread at least half of the mulched leaves over the area, along with some heat-treated manure you'd find at a nursery or even big-box store now evenly over that space.

Next, dampen it. Not soaking wet, just damp enough to settle everything. Then using a rototiller, or even by hand, turn everything under, getting a good mixing of the stuff. Once you're happy with the mixing, rake the space smooth and dampen it again. That way the earthworms will have loose soil to hunker down into, the manure will start to assist the natural breaking down of the mulched leaves. Your soil will gain so much nutrition over the course of this winter.

Spread any of the mulched leaves left over as the topdressing. That topdressing will insulate the soil beneath it, allowing all the good microbes to do their magic for you. Periodically during the balance of this dormant season, perhaps every three weeks, precipitation dependent, do offer the area a watering. Again, it doesn't have to be a soaking watering, just enough to keep the soil from drying out. Especially if we have a dry winter.

Without some water, the soil won't want to create that health you're aiming for. It sounds like you really want to earn the most from the "free" leaves you got, and by having mulched them right off you are well on the way to great expectations for next year's garden.

Q: I purchased a boxed amaryllis that had a compressed disk of what I think is peat to plant it in. Once I got it wet, it would have been barely enough soil to hold the bulb steady, so I mixed it with some potting soil I have and did the planting. I haven't hurt the bulb, have I? — M.D., Belen

A: No, I don't see how anything you did was wrong, as long as you left the top third of the amaryllis bulb exposed, so to speak. That disk was probably mostly peat, so I'm gonna suggest that you be more wary of how you water the pot. Since peat can hold a lot of water, make sure, by sticking your finger into the soil, that it really needs to be watered. A soggy amaryllis will be an unhealthy one, so be attentive.

Truly, I think no harm-no foul and with you not over or under doing its care, it'll be fine.

Happy Diggin' In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.