Leaf mulching...am i doing it wrong?

What I've been doing is laying a 3 inch layer of leaves on my garden beds. The leaves at this stage are brown and crispy.
I just read somewhere that by doing this, a considerable amount of nitrogen is taken from the soil by the micro organisms decomposing the organic matter!
That means that my soil will be deficient in nitrogen and i actually thought that the compost that this decomposition would leave me with, would provide me with the nitrogen for my plants!! Should i add anything to the leaf mulch to compensate for the loss? Thanks.

 

I'd be rotting the leaves down separate, in an enclosure made of wire mesh.

 

Fallen leaves mainly provide organic matter, very little in the way of nutrients as the tree withdraws anything of use before shedding the leaf. They can be slow to rot down especially when dry. I would go with Zigs and collect them up into a pile, keep them damp and then in a year or so you should have nice brown crumbly leaf mould to use.
I find that in my garden if I don't clear most of the leaves up some smaller plants get smothered and they provide a good home for slugs that then munch on newly emerging shoots in springtime.

 

Will I get the same result from putting leaves in black bin bags with few holes in?

 

The problem I have is that when I walk around my local woods and I see the ground covered in leaves surrounded by healthy looking trees and shrubs, then by what I have read is that the soil that these plants grow in are depleted of nitrogen!
Excuse my ignorance in this matter as I am new to anything to do with gardening but I'm at that stage where everything seems to be contradictory

 

Yes

 

As "M" said yes. I'd make sure they were wet though because once in black bin liners, even with holes, they will not get wet. I gather mine when they are wet, it makes collecting easier, then put them into builders bulk bags for a year or so covering the top with some cardboard to stop the leaves blowing out. I have used black bin liners, successfully, in the past.

 

Saw your post earlier but took some time to think about it.

There might be a lack of nitrogen in a mature woodland, but that's not necessarily caused by rotting leaves, rather a lack of legumes that fix nitrogen from the atmosphere.

Leaves will rot quicker with nitrogen, but it's a fungal process rather than the bacterial process that rots down other, fleshy, vegetable matter.

A mature wood wouldn't need much nitrogen as it promotes fleshy growth rather than the laying down of nice woody lignins that build the forest up.

Hope that helps

 

@JohnD

Established trees and shrubs don't require a great deal of added nitrogen to grow well, they also have large root systems gathering nutrients from a large volume. Nitrogen becomes more important when you are growing intensively and taking a crop as in fruit and vegetable growing.
Also nutrients are withdrawn from the leaves, before the leaves are discarded and stored for next year.
There is also an extensive ecosystem of bacteria and fungi that contribute to the nitrogen cycle in established woodland.

 

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond

 

No problem

Getting back to basics, best thing is to chop the leaves up with a lawnmower and then throw a load of yeast on em and wee on them

 

That's why you should always keep a banker and an estate agent at the bottom of the garden

 

....hmmm, think I'll play it safe and venture to bottom of garden with a watering can. Leaves were probably a bit damp when I collected so will top up. Thanks for advice - I'm heeding that about making them wet, bottling out of advice (all from men?) on how to do it....