How much humus is good for the soil ?

Its all very well leaving lots of carbohides for the soil, but I like to see the grass grow - and so I trust, do the cows - esp at this time of the year . The chorus of concern, when I started raking up the oak leaves on the lawn this week reminded me of how much the public mood has swung towards preserving the largely undeserving. Humus
Keeping more of the plant residue has its downside. Besides humus can look after itself around here. If anything, in a wet climate like ours, its too persistent and a problem for ecosystem productivity . Not that we should be racist and treat all humuses the same.
The great crop of mushrooms we got this May was partly due to high root residue. Root residue that could have got into the mouths of the top feeders. So we are getting generous --and that's good for our soils isn't it ? To a point you bet !
As always, it is a matter of balance .
Take these oak leaves on the lawn. In the northern hemisphere, these highly effective killer leaves control ground growth so effectively that the oak forests thrive . The huge mulch effect is good for one plant and one plant only. Its seed so big its needs a pile of leaves to bury it . Ok, if you just want a forest full of frog leaves .
So you can have too much of a good thing. Creating excess carbs means something else you haven't counted may come and compete- like cockchafers have been doing too recently or some highly effective bacteria with guts . Nearly everybody in the household is looking for a free feed and a lot depends on what we hard working types want our real estate communities to be doing with all that sun derived sugar . By feeding the lower storeys, we can be risking the opportunity to feed the upper storeys. House hold leadership is about saying No sometimes!
Next time i won't go round raking up the fibre; I 'll smash those big fat persistent carbohides like the cows do --with a machinator called a mower .
That way, at least, I won't have the oaks trying to take over Australia and the passing public won't be worried that I am about to burn huge piles of their very effective little wafer brains. Copyright