Autumn lays its greatest treasure right at our feet – Kenosha News

Posted On: September 27, 2019

It’s getting close to that time of year again. We see the trees beginning to show off their colors in preparation for their winter break. Most of us enjoy this annual show and look forward to the fragrances and telltale crunch under our feet.

Autumn leaves are certainly gorgeous when they are still on the trees, but as they begin to drop and fill our beds, yards, sidewalks and driveways — they can become less appealing to us. The chore of raking and dragging around the leaf blower gets old pretty quickly, doesn’t it? The good news is that leaves can be a valuable soil amendment; no need to throw them away! They are so good, in fact, that most leaves contain twice as many minerals as manure — and they are so much lighter!

Before they begin to fall, make a note that leaves are a priceless resource for your soil. Why not plan to use these free, nutrient-dense treasures rather than bagging them up as yard waste?

Here are a few guidelines about using leaves as compost to benefit your lawn and gardens.

The simplest way to give your leaves a good shredding is to mow them with your lawn mower; leave the shredded bits where they are so they can work their way down into your lawn.

For garden beds, shred the leaves before you use them; this will help them to decompose and release those precious nutrients. When spring returns, the leaves can be worked into the soil for a nutritional boost to start the planting season off right!

For vegetable gardens, use your leaf-shredder to prepare dry leaves, and collect them on a tarp or in a bag. Also place them under trees, shrubs and bushes — but do not pile the shredded leaves right next to the trunks — leave them some space.

Do not use Juglans nigra (black walnut) leaves as the toxin juglone will inhibit or prevent plant growth.

Oak leaves are a bit more difficult to use as they do not decompose (compost) well; consider giving them a “double-shred” before putting them in place.

As always, any plant materials that are diseased or pest-ridden should not be used as compost or mulch; these should be bagged up and taken away from your property.

There you have it. Raking, bagging and raking some more can be eliminated from your chore list if you choose to use them instead of lose them. Leaves are a treasure!

Rae Punzel is a Kenosha writer and horticulturalist. She owns Bennu Organics, a horticulture services and consulting business. Contact her at bennuorganics@gmail.com.