Making the most of those autumn leaves
Experienced gardeners know that leaves represent a vital — and free — source of nutrients for the garden.
For most of the year, leaves on trees delight us. We rejoice when we see the first haze of green appear in the spring, appreciate the cool, shade that leaves provide in the summer, and revel in the colors that fire-up the treetops in the fall. But once leaves drop from their branches and start piling up in our yards and gardens, then they become a chore. We can’t wait until the last one is raked, bagged, and hauled off to the landfill. What we don’t see is how tree roots, extending deep into the soil, bring up minerals and nutrients from far below the reach of other plant roots. A good portion of these nutrients ends up in the leaves. When the leaves fall and decompose, the nutrients become available to other plants. Experienced gardeners know that leaves represent a vital—and free—source of nutrients for the garden. The fall season finds these folks busily gathering and saving leaves. In Mike McGrath’s “Book of Compost,” he devotes a whole chapter to “The Overwhelming Importance of Fall Leaves.” In making compost, carbon-rich, dry, brown plant material is an essential component and, as McGrath points out, “…none of your ‘dry brown’ alternatives are anywhere near as rich in trace minerals and other nutrients as leaves.” And the fall season is the one opportunity to gather as many of them as possible. You may not be making compost during the winter, but come spring and summer you’ll need a hefty stash of “browns” for your compost bin. “Browns” are needed in roughly a two-to-one ratio with “greens.” Greens are grass clippings and vegetable scraps. While you can simply mass dead leaves in a giant pile, shredding leaves is a better idea. First, shredding reduces the volume, so you’ll need less storage space. McGrath points out that most leaf blowers will also shred if you reverse the attachment and setting. Your leaf blower or leaf vacuum might be labeled with a “mulching ratio” This could be 10:1, 12:1, or even 20:1. At the lowest ratio, by shredding you can turn ten bags of leaves into just one. Second, shredding speeds up the decomposition process. Whole leaves will eventually decompose—this is why forests don’t fill up with leaves! But the process can take years. Whole leaves also tend to mat down, making them less useful as mulch. Collect and shred leaves now, and you’ll have a supply to take you through the main composting season. The shredded leaves, all by themselves, make a good mulch. And, as McGrath describes, you don’t have to make compost if you don’t want to. As he says, “Fall leaves are one of the two things (barnyard manures are the other) that you can successfully compost all by themselves. If you’re one of those folks who really does want to make your own compost, but you’re not quite sure what should go into it, and/or you fear attracting pests and such, just start with fall leaves—and end with them, too.” It takes no more effort to keep leaves on your property than to bag them and set them out to be hauled off in the trash, and certainly far less effort than loading them into your car or truck, and driving them to your township’s recycling yard or other composting location.
Don’t have trees and leaves on your property? Check with your neighbors who do. They may be happy—as are my neighbors— to have you take their bags of leaves. If you’d like the benefits of leaf mulch but don’t have room for a leaf pile, check with your township to see if they have a leaf-composting program. In my township (East Pikeland) for instance, residents can both drop off leaves at the township yard and pick up composted leaves to use in their gardens.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” And check out Pam’s book for children and families: ‘Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets.’ Available at amazon. com.