- Author: Pamela M. Geisel
Published on: November 24, 2009
I am of an age that when I was a child we got to burn our fall leaves in the gutter outside our house. I remember the pungent and sweetly smoky smell of the burning leaves. I am only occasionally blessed with a passing whiff of that smell and when I do smell it, all of those childhood memories come flooding back. However, it is generally now unacceptable to burn leaves because of air quality restrictions. That is really okay because there are so many good things you can do with all those leaves without burning them. One of the best ways to deal with the mounting pile of leaves is to rake them into a low “windrow” on the lawn or driveway and then take the mulching lawn mower and run it over the leaves. Rake or sweep up the “shredded” leaves and place them in a 3-4 inch layer into your flower beds as mulch around your shrubs, trees and perennials. You could just put unshredded leaves into the beds but what tends to happen is that the leaves stack upon themselves in tight airtight layers and they can create water impenetrable surface. The shredded leaves remain "loose" and accepting of water and oxygen. They will eventually compost and you may hasten it if you chose to by adding poultry manure or other sources of nitrogen rich compostables such as grass clippings or kitchen scraps. However, it is better if you just allow the leaves to remain in place as mulch without significant or rapid composting. The mulch will prevent weed growth and add nutrients to the soil slowly. They will keep the roots of plants cooler in the summer and reduce water evaporation from the soil. By keeping the fallen leaves on your property, you also reduce the amount of material that must be processed at composting facilities or that goes to the landfill.
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