There is nothing like procrastination. I am supposed to be working on a research paper with a deadline looming, but I can't seem to keep my eyes from wandering to my next door neighbour's hawthorn tree. The leaves have begun to change from golden yellow to red and it is really a site to behold.
Now that fall is officially here leaves from deciduous leaves abound. Environmentally friendly gardeners may be wondering what is the best way to use, compost or remove their fallen leaves.
You may have heard about the "no rake method" of leaving a carpet of leaves on your grass over winter, and that they will naturally compost into the lawn. Oh how I wish this were true.
To be fair, if you have a very thin layer of leaves and depending on the variety (ie: do they break down easily), you may be able to get away with this theory. But the reality is if you have a thick coating of leaves on your lawn, they will smother the grass over winter and make a huge mess.
The next question people usually ask is can you rake up your leaves right into garden beds? Again, it depends on the type of leaf (shape and size) and also how many leaves you are adding to the beds.
A thick mat of leaves, particularly from oaks, can smother small plants and keep rainwater from easily soaking the soil.
I am a lazy gardener and usually wait until all the leaves are down at the end of the season. After raking up the majority from our lawn, I rake a thin layer into my flowerbeds to overwinter.
In the spring, whatever leaf matter that has not composted into the soil, I pick out by hand and put in my compost.
A nice option to ease up on raking is to simply mow the leaves that sit on top of the lawn. Remove the grass catcher from your mower and let the shredded leaves compost into organic matter that will act as a winter mulch and ultimately improve the soil.
If compost is your goal you are in luck. Leaves are a great addition to the compost pile just be sure to add a nitrogen source like grass clippings. Turn and water the compost often to help facilitate rotting.
And here, dear friends, is what not to do with your leaves. Do not throw them in the garbage. Yard waste makes up a huge percentage of municipal landfills.
Do not collect them using a blower. The gas-powered models are highly polluting, and the electric ones are probably not powerful enough to do the job. And whether gas or electric, they stir up particles containing mould, pesticides, dried animal waste and dust. Plus the noise is terrible.
Get some exercise and make your cheeks rosy by using a little elbow grease and start raking.
