How to put Fall leaves to work in the Garden

  

Every year the autumn season presents us with a gift we can put to good use to improve our garden beds. Fall leaves are packed with organic matter and nutrients that can serve as a natural soil amendment, as mulch or in the compost pile.

Now is an excellent time to work on improving the garden soil. The soil is warm, it’s easy to add organic amendments and this time of year we have the added benefit of an abundance of fall leaves.  

  

An easy way to put fall leaves to work is to rake them up and scatter them across the surface of your garden, then cover them with three to four inches of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost.  Through the course of the winter, the leaves will break down and come spring, use your garden fork to work the resultant rich compost into your garden's soil.   

  

Another approach is to dig a shallow (5" to 6") trench, fill it with leaves and cover them with compost. Through the course of the winter, the leaves will break down and come spring can be worked into the soil using a garden fork.  

 

 

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 brown (carbon) to greens (nitrogen). Adding leaves in thin (2" to 3") layers will help the compost pile stay warm and working during the winter. 

  

  

Another option would be to incorporate the leaf material into the garden now. Spread the leaves out over the garden bed, cover with three to four inches of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost and dig the mixture in six to eight inches.  For added nutrients, include Happy Frog Coco Loco with worm castings and coconut coir.  

  

To speed up the process, mow the lawn with the catcher in place or use your leaf blower with bag attachment to shred and catch the leaves, as opposed to raking. The resulting smaller pieces will breakdown faster in your garden or compost pile, plus shredding helps prevent the leaves from packing together into layers that water and air can’t penetrate.  

  

Once the ground is cold – usually around Thanksgiving, apply a layer of shredded leaves and compost around each perennial. Mulching will help retain moisture and protect plants from winter’s temperature fluctuations.   

  

Improving your garden soil is something that needs to happen on an ongoing basis. Continuous improvement is the way to ensure soil health, structure, and fertility, all of which lead to improved crop yields, season after season.  At the end of a beautiful autumn, it seems only fitting we put those fallen leaves to work in the garden. You'll have a healthier, more productive garden next season.