Fall is that time when many people dread the chore of raking leaves. But those who enjoy gardening know the many benefits of raking leaves. No, we’re not talking about exercise (although many of us need a long soak in a hot tub when we’re done). We’re talking about backyard composting.
Raking leaves is more like harvesting garden gold. If you are a composter, you know leaves add the ‘brown’ material so often talked about as an essential for a garden compost pile. While lawn clippings add the ‘green’ nitrogen component to composting, leaves add the carbon that is needed. This combination will give you rich soil amendment in the spring.
Leaves should be raked off the lawn before they form a mat. It is amazing how much damage can be caused to lawns by leaving the leaves on them too long. But in the garden, leaving leaves on the ground until after the first frost will add a little insulation and helps transition tender perennials into winter.
If you have a lot of leaves, they will fill up your compost bins quickly. A little trick is to rake the leaves out of the flower beds and onto the lawn and then use a mower to chop them up. This makes a great leaf mulcher, helps reduce the piles and aids in jump-starting the backyard composting process. Chopping the leaves into smaller pieces increases the surface area which increases decomposition and those pieces will be mixed thoroughly with green lawn clippings as well.
Pick a good dry day to make the job easier. As you mow over the small piles of leaves, you will need to empty the mower bag often. Keep a tarp nearby and simply dump the chopped up leaves onto it until it gets full. This will cut down the trips to the compost bin. After the mower has picked up all it can, it’s time to rake the remaining shrapnel. Rake vigorously and you will not only clean up the remaining leaves, but you will remove thatch in your lawn as well. Lawn thatch is great for compost but chokes off your lawn if not addressed. Remove it and add a fall organic fertilizer, and you will reap the benefits in the spring.
So next time you feel a chill in the air and see the leaves turning color, don’t fear the thought of raking leaves. Rather look at is as an opportunity to reap the benefits of the fall harvest of backyard composting.
Link to this page
Comments on this entry are closed.