Put those fall leaves to work

Fall leaves are packed with organic matter and nutrients, so take advantage of this year's abundant supply to enrich your garden soils. 

Good things happen when you add organic material to your garden soils. Clay soils become more workable, sandy soils retain water more effectively, earth worm populations go up, microbial activity increases and the health and balance of your soil improves. Continuously improving your garden soil is the key to healthier, more productive crops season after season.

An easy way to put fall leaves to work is to rake them up and scatter them across the surface of your garden, then fork them in a bit.

Another approach is to dig a shallow (5" to 6") trench, fill it with leaves and cover with dirt. Through the course of the winter, the leaves will break down.

Come spring, use a garden fork to work the composted leaves into your garden's soil. To speed up the composting process, put the catcher bag on your mower and mow the leaves instead of raking them. The resulting smaller pieces will breakdown faster in your garden.

Use leaves as a mulch around perennials. Mulching will help keep the ground stable and retain moisture. Fall leaves are a great source of carbon when added to your compost pile.

Leaves count as "browns" in making compost. A good ratio of browns and greens is about 4:1 browns (carbon) to greens (nitrogen). Adding leaves in thin (2" to 3") layers will help the compost pile stay warm and working during the winter.

Now's the time to put those beautiful fall leaves to work. You'll have a healthier, more productive garden next season.