Don’t worry about leaves blowing in the wind

IN THE GARDEN

This is the month when we potentially switch from raking leaves to shovelling snow.

Unless you look at it as gym-free exercise neither is viewed as a fun pastime. And when combined, it’s messy and no fun at all. Ideally, trees would shed all their leaves by the end of October and snow wouldn’t arrive until Christmas. This year, I began wondering if leaves were resisting gravity.

They’re falling now but finding days that are perfect for raking — sunny and no wind — have been few. If there were to be a good snowfall before they are raked, at least they wouldn’t be visible. Leaves are not a problem on flower beds, they break down and nutrients are returned to the soil — nature’s fertilizer. It’s leaves on the lawn that are a big concern because it will smother the grass. But does it? Is it a myth? Have we been furiously raking every last homicidal leaf from the grass for no reason, other than keeping rake-makers, liniment producers, and chiropractors in business? Maybe.

Yes, leave a deep layer of leaves on the lawn and chances are the grass will die off. However, grass is dormant now when leaves are falling. It’s in spring when growth begins again that it needs light. If there’s only a moderate layer, the leaves will have begun breaking down and grass will push through, much as plants do in natural areas. I’ve observed this on lawns that were not raked in fall.

Even if the leaves haven’t broken down sufficiently, an early mowing will allow in the sunshine. But why wait until spring? Instead of raking leaves, save the back and shoulders, forego the blistered hands, and haul out the mower one last time. Run it up and down a few times, chopping the leaves into fine bits. Leave them where they fall, just not in dense piles. Again, this is free fertilizer and the lawn will be healthier for it.

Now granted, there are many who like a manicured lawn and don’t like to see the surface marred by even a solitary leaf. That’s perfectly OK. And then there are neighbourhood associations with regulations that demand leaves be removed, and rules must be obeyed — right.

If there is a lawn that absolutely must be raked, and they are becoming a popular alternative, it’s one of artificial grass. The leaves will still break down, but they won’t be absorbed. They’ll lie there and rot along with spilled drinks and barbecue debris. Plastic grass not looking so good now, eh? Maybe it didn’t need cutting, but it will have to be raked or vacuumed before it turns into a grubby, unhealthy mess.

I suppose there is a place for artificial grass — mini golf maybe — but hey, I’m a gardener and this is about real gardening.

A real garden needs mulch and compost, so why not use those leaves. I compost a hundred bags every year and last year’s pile is gone already, back into the soil on my flower beds and vegetable garden. There’s little work involved other than making a big

pile this month. The trick is to hose them down while piling them, that way they don’t blow around and they’ll break down faster. I make an open heap in a corner of the yard. If you’d prefer to contain them, build a leaf corral with four or five stakes enclosed with chicken wire or plastic snow fence.

We might be raking and tidying the garden this weekend, and as we do, the leaves will again be blowing in the wind — like the poppies in Flanders fields. I’ll be thinking of that.

To chat with local gardeners, share tips, pics, or discuss leaves or poppies, see Grand Gardeners on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/Grandgardeners/.