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Itzetown City

I put a lot of that stuff in my patch this year. But now i reading that maple leave contain a lot of ABA (abscisic acid) that will decrease the plant growth.

http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/e31/31e.htm

I am curious to know, if ABA exist in death leaves and if it really decrease the plant growth? If it is, why do you say "Put maple leave in the patch"?

12/20/2003 8:29:45 AM

Montoursville, PA

Put any and all leaves ground up or tilled in to small pieces so long as the nut varieties do not exceed 10% by volume. They are the single best addition you can add in conjunction with natural manures. I have added three feet of raked leaves per year for nearly fifty years to build and maintain my excellent soil condition. I consume all the leaves on three neighbooring properties plus a full two cupic yards of finely ground leaves as a mulch on top of my fall cover crop. It is all down and digested by May each Spring. It is moving from compost to humates and humic acids exactly when the plant needs to use the fertilizer.

When fully digested and worked into the growing medium all your living additives or additives that once lived will finish at about 7.0 PH.

12/20/2003 10:54:43 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Abscisic acid is present in many naturally ocurring organic compounds. It is also necesary & benecial (in moderation) to pumpkin growth. I doubt the quantity found in Maple leaves would be detrimental.

Steve

12/21/2003 12:18:23 PM