Help! My Leaves are Falling!
Fall certainly is the perfect nickname for autumn!
Falling leaves mark the curtain closing on the colorful show our trees give us as we approach the threshold of winter. Dealing with them is the small price we must pay for the performance.
Raking is the tried and true option for managing leaves. It's a great autumn tradition, one the entire family can get involved in. It's a chance for everyone to stretch their muscles and burn a few calories. Turn this annual chore into an afternoon event. Let the kids and dog burrow in leaf piles. Collect a few perfect leaf specimens for a craft project. Then get serious and set a time frame to rake piles of leaves and then it is time for a break of hot chocolate or hot apple cider.
Leaf management is simple. First, don't procrastinate. Putting off the removal of those leaves is ultimately damaging to your lawn, especially when the grass is wet. A damp leaf carpet will deprive your lawn of sun and oxygen, while providing a cozy environment for disease to incubate. Freshly fallen leaves are also lighter to rake than wet, compacted ones. Instead of waiting for all of the leaves to fall, schedule two or three raking (or leaf blowing) sessions during the season.
If your municipality provides curbside leaf pick-up, it's just a matter of moving the leaves into the gutter. But many people aren't so lucky. What can you do with all of those leaves?
Mowing over leaves is an option if your leaf carpet is light (another reason to keep up with this task!). If you have only a few leaves, you can throw them directly into your garden and let them decompose over winter and spring.
You should make two or more passes to chop the leaves up enough to leave them on the lawn as fertilizer. If you have a large yard with lots of trees, look into getting a mulching blade for your mower - it will finely chop up grass and leaves so they can more quickly sink into the soil and feed your lawn.
Composting is another great option for anyone who enjoys gardening. The good news is that leaves can be the mainstay of your compost pile. They are classified as "brown material" which should make up about two-thirds of everything that goes into a compost pile. Rake your leaves onto a tarp and drag them to the compost area. Read, How to Start a Compost Pile to learn more about composting basics.
Enjoy your yard and all it has to offer. From raking leaves to your final pass with the fertilizer spreader, know that the time you spend pays off in a more beautiful yard!
