Should I be putting dead vegitation in my garden?

Decomposed material is rich in valuable in nutrients for live plants. It can also attract insects (along with other things) which are good for the plants as well. Its why pioneer gardeners added manure to garden patches in the old days. Some dare devils still do so today.

This About (dot) com article explains it in more detail.

If you mixed the dead leaves with the soil, then it’s ok, it will be similar to composting. However, if you just threw them on top, then it can be blown away.

You might do better to set up a compost pile, giving the soil microbes time to break down the leaves and such. Otherwise, it is a good thing to mix the leaves in with the soil. Just watch for your plants needing extra nitrogen in the spring and summer. Sometimes it gets used up during the decomposition of plant material.

@Darwin brings another steak to the table. Let me add this link on how to to compost to my answer.

I always throw them into the compost bin, unless they have little critters on them then I douse them in soapy water first. They say if you use PINK dish washing detergent of any brand as long as it is pink, it will kill nasty critters.

@rooeytoo Pink a killer…that’s a new concept. :) Where did ya’ hear that form, out of curiosity?

@spinel- I have known it for a long time, I think I might have first read it in Organic Gardening. The kid that stays with us sometimes always has headlice and I buy the cheap gallon jug of pink cream rinse, slather it all over his head and let it there for 20 min, then rinse it really well. Gets rid of them very well and makes it easier to unknot his hair! Pink dye must be bad stuff!

But you also have to beware of what caused the vegatation to die. If you use weed killer on your lawn, the grass clippings can be hazardous to put on your garden. It stands to reason. You must also be aware of the acidity or alkalinity of what you are adding and you will potentially want to amend the mix.

I have a compost pile that consists of fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds (and filters), and egg shells. The coffee grinds will increase acidity, and if I also put a lot of pine needles in the same mix it will further increase. Depending on the plants I am working with, I will want to back off the acid, or just not use the organic mix on those plants. Too much of a good thing…you know what they say.

These dead organic materials need to be de-composed in order to be useful in your garden; otherwise, they attract insects and deseases that could do harm to the plants there. I started a compost bin with garden and kitchen scraps, but I found it difficult to create compost without proper equipment, appropriate mix of organic materials (carbon + nitrogen), and temperature/sun. My TLC alone did not make compost :(

Yes! Add it… Get Manure if you can and Add it… Chicken if you can, leaves too- Chip it small with a shovel and dig it in…