Rake your neighbors' yards for free or pick up those brown Home Depot bags that people fill full of them so they can throw it all out and take them home.
Hope this helps.
-Troy
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I know this is an old thread, but I'm a total compost geek...
Oak and "pines" (I think that includes firs, but I'm not a tree person) make more acidic mulch - great for blueberries and rhodies, not so hot for some other stuff. A mix of trees, I agree with Troy, all compost is acidic to a certain degree. But my grandma used to have trouble growing things under oaks and pines until she gave up and divided her plantings by pH.
You need a fast way to increase acidity (i.e. you planted blueberries in the wrong place, or have mysteriously basic soil)? Mix in composted coffee grounds. Raw coffee grounds might burn shallow roots, but if you're in a pinch it'll seriously dip the pH. On the other hand, if your compost consists of mostly coffee grounds and the occasional carrot ends, your pH will stay pretty low. Left long enough, all compost will end up pretty neutral - it's that cool balancing thing Mother Nature does.
From what I have read leaves or pine needles do not change acidity too much, now that being said, the large amounts of carbonaceous materials may result in decreased nitrogen in the soil. If they were used as mulch, however, I don't think this would be a problem. Back to the acidity, the creation of compost results in humic acids being formed, but that is the case with all compost, which tends to buffer pH rather than dramatically alter it.
Thanks for the question Jeff!
-Troy
Here's a question: Do you think the leaves are a good source for compost for annual vegetables?
A friend told me that his garden bed was too acidic, and it was due to the leaves. Maybe this was just incomplete compost?
wheres the option for "not at all" haha
Oldie but a goody, the comments anyways.