What to do with Leaves in Fall

Perhaps you are looking for ideas on what to do with the leaves scattered across your lawn this Fall. There are a few things you can do with those leaves besides bagging them up and putting them out on the curb for the city to haul away.


Leaf Mold
We personally like to make leaf mold with our leaves. The leaves are basically raked up and piled into a bin and left to break down over the coming year. When all is said and done, what you have left over is an excellent garden amendment to add to your garden beds.

Leaves in the Garden Bed
Another idea is to go ahead and add the leaves to your garden bed and then till the leaves under when you put your garden to bed for the winter. The leaves will break down throughout the Winter months and the worms will take care of any leftover leaves in early Spring.

Leaves as a Mulch
Although not a lot of people's idea of a mulch, leaves can serve the same purpose. They suppress weed growth and hold in moisture very well. They break down over time and again add valuable nutrients to the garden soil. Some say they have problems with moisture getting through the matted leaves, but we have never had that problem. The soil underneath has always been moist and full of happy earthworms. The plants growing in these beds also seem to outperform those with regular chipped mulch.

Leaves for Compost
Leaves are also a useful ingredient in making compost. Make a pile close to your compost bin and you will have a nice supply of "browns" when you decide to start a new compost heap.

Leaves for Fun
Leaves bring back many fond childhood memories. Remember to pass those memories on to your children or grandchildren by making them a nice big pile of leaves to play in before you use them for your garden. They'll happily remember these cool Fall days just as you have throughout your life. Happy Gardening!






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