Post date: Oct 24, 2019 6:06:41 PM
The most awaited season for an urban gardener will soon be here. The time to rake in the gift of nature - the dried leaves of Fall.
1. Leaves hold a great amount of nutrition, minerals dug up from the soil and accumulated from the sun and skies. Don’t let a single dry leaf leave your yard.
2. Leaves brown in the fall not from aging, but by the natural process of prep for winter in deciduous climates. The tree holds its life in its roots and sheds all the leaves to hibernate during winter. Collect them all.
3. Leaves take a long time to decompose. The brown leaves are the primary compound in making humus and fresh soil. But depending on how much lignin and cellulose they have, leaves take time to decompose. A magnolia leaf takes 3 years for example.
4. Leaves left in a pile can mat up and rot. Not welcome. Without air the decomposition process stalls. So always crush the leaves. So air can circulate and decomposition can happen.
5. Collect the dry leaves in your yard in a pile, take the time to spread them out once in 10-15 days to pick out any twigs and branches, and run the lawn mover over it to crumble the leaves into shreds.
6. Shredded leaves will decompose to rich dark humus by spring if kept in a large pile, warm and wrapped up, moist and well aired. Buy a hardware cloth roll ($10 or less) make a circular bin by tying up the ends, and place below a shaded tree. Fill up the crushed leaves in these bins.
7. You can use the crushed leaves in many ways. Mulch the garden during the winter. And the harsh summer. Much better than wood chips. Creates rich soil. Keep in a pile and add to compost bin when you compost kitchen waste. Line your earthworm bins. Layer your pots. Create seedling mix. Make container mix.
8. Fall is when the retiring insects and pests lay eggs. Dry leaves is where this happens. When you clear them as they fall, shred and decompose them, you enhance the populations of good organisms. The nematodes and Protozoa created in your leaf shred piles will eat all the pest eggs during winter and deliver great mulch teeming with earthworms by spring. You won’t have pests. Trust me, none.
9. The best place to store rainwater is the soil. Your soil’s ability to remain moist and absorb rain like a sponge, depends on how much of organic matter it has. Leaf mulch is the number one soil amendment, free, easy and valuable.
10. You can actually build and create soil and replenish your garden soil with a process called Amrit Mitti. Look it up. Will repost my notes in spring. You can build your soil in spring if you have enough leaf mulch.
Find a corner in your garden and gather, shred and pile up the dry leaves of fall. Don’t rake them away or send them out.
You can PM me and come visit my yard if you want to see any of these processes. I live faraway in Buckhead, but if you are willing to drive up, I am happy to show you around.
I surely need an editor. Too long, sorry. Hopefully, it helps.