Leaves, Leaves, Leaves

It’s that time of year again!  The autumn leaves are changing into those beautiful earth tone colors again, leaving branches bare and leaving plenty of work to do on the ground.  When I first moved into my home, I made the mistake of not raking my leaves in the fall.  I felt it wouldn’t do any harm and was one of those chores that I could put off until I was ready.  The following year, the consequences of my decision caught up with me.  My grass never grew back because the leaves had smothered my grass and the leaves were so matted together, it was almost impossible to rake them.  This year, I decided to be more pro active about raking my leaves.  After doing research, I found that dead leaves are actually very useful.  On a scientific note, I learned in biology that leaves change colors because during the fall and winter there is not enough light or water to photosynthesize (make food).  The chlorophyll, which makes plants look green,die off and other colors such as yellow, orange and red are no longer absorbed to make food.  Trees and other plants live a very slow and dormant life through the winter feeding off of the food they have stored during the summer.  (Sometimes I can be a bit of a nerd, but I found that highly fascinating).  So, there are two things you can do with your leaves besides throw them out; you can compost them or use them as mulch.

COMPOSTING:  If you want to recycle, go green or just repurpose your leaves, composting is a great way to do so.  Leaves are a high-carbon material, which is great for compost.  To build a compost bin, you can pile the leaves up in a small area in the back of your home.  If you want to invest in a compost bin, you can or you can go to your nearest hardware store and get cheap fencing material to make an enclosure.  Stack the leaves into the area and turn the pile every few weeks.  By spring you will have finished compost for your garden.  To make raking leaves an easier task, you can purchase a mulching lawn mower or a leaf blower, however a plain rake can also get the job done.

MULCHING:  You can also give your garden a warm blanket of mulch during the winter.  By raking shredded leaves into your garden and around your shrubs, you can protect your bulbs and roots from frost, add nutrients to the soil, help retain moisture in your soil and decrease the growth of weeds in your garden.  All you need is approximately 2 to 3 inches of leaves and your plants can stay cozy all winter long.  If you are not able to compost or mulch, give some to your neighbors or post on freecycle.org as a free giveaway.

Keep in mind that leaves should always be raked during dry weather and don’t forget to clean them out of your gutters around your home.