There's a reason why autumn is called "fall." This season is ripe with fallen leaves, as winter approaches. One of the greatest challenges of the fall season is what to do with all the leaves? Believe it or not, all those raked up fall leaves can be put to good use.
Autumn leaves have a variety of uses, from gardening to seasonal decor. You could use a rake, pitch fork, or leaf blower to clear the leaves for disposal. However, rather than toss your fall leaves in the trash, consider other avenues. Making use of fall leaves can work wonders for special projects and saving more waste in landfills.
In short, yes.
Fall leaves can be reused for many different purposes. As you rake up those piles of autumn leaves from your lawn, look around and ask yourself: where can these leaves be reused? As cold weather grows stronger, more leaves will continue to pile up.
John Kaminski, researcher at Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, states that neglecting leaves piling up can be detrimental for your yard. Too many leaves create damp conditions for the creation of snow mold, which can damage grass in a yard.
By the time spring rolls around, snow mold can kill entire patches of your lawn's grass. To avoid this, rake up your leaves. Better yet, repurpose this debris for beneficial uses!
As leaves fall before winter, the easiest disposal solution seems to be trashing the leaves. Doing so, however, only generates more waste for landfills. Instead, reusing leaves puts their organic matter to good use.
You can primarily reuse old leaves for many gardening and craft projects. It is always wise to seek good uses for fallen leaves. Trashing them won't cause any hazards, yet it can prevent perfectly good organic material from going to waste!
Believe it or not, trees store up to 50-80% of their nutrients in leaves. Being that's the case, there are many purposes fall leaves can be utilized for. As mentioned, some of the best reuse of old leaves is to beef up the nutrients of garden soil. Doing so will strengthen the health of items such as root vegetables, flowers, grass, and beneficial organisms.
Consider some of the following ways to reuse fallen leaves below:
Compost piles are among the most popular methods of reusing fall leaves. Once you rake up a leaf pile, you can use a leaf shredder or lawn mower to tear up the leaves for a vegetable garden or flower beds. A compost bin can help create healthy soil for garden beds of any kind.
Chopped leaves are the best to use for a compost pile. Fresh grass clippings added with the shredded leaves help make a healthier garden soil. It should be mentioned that different leaves decompose faster than others. Keep this in mind as you gather a big pile of leaves for a compost pile.
Mulch is another method to improve the health of your garden soil. A few leaves can create fantastic mulch for garden beds. Any gardener will tell you how effective mulch can suppress weeds. Good compost can be made from mulch as well.
A mulching lawnmower can help break down partially decomposed or dry leaves. The mulch can add a rich source of nutrients for tender plants and other organic matter in your garden. Add kitchen scraps to the mulch mixture if you like! This makes the soil optimal for growing in the spring and summer months.
Leaf molds are a beneficial way to repurpose your fallen leaves. A leaf mold is beneficial due to the nutrients they hold. As mentioned, leaves store a lot of nutrients and aid other beneficial organisms. A leaf mold also holds more than its weight in water!
To make leaf molds, do so in a similar way you would make mulch. Chop up the leaves into tiny pieces, making sure to press leaves together. Afterward, use wire frames to create something like a potato bin. Wet the leaves after your bin has been created and let it sit and soak for about 12 months until the leaf mold is complete.
A lasagna garden is not your typical garden. In fact, it's a garden not intended for plants. Its purely a soil garden meant to boost the organic ecosystem. They can be boosted by adding grass clippings and whole leaves. Spread the layer of soil evenly if possible.
Again, the primary use of a lasagna garden is to create a healthy soil for beneficial organisms. This, in turn, strengthens the health of your yard or other plant gardens.
Fall leaves can be used to protect root crops. Root vegetables are tricky crops to manage, as their roots are fragile and can be damaged easily without proper care. Root crops stored with the use of shredded leaves can safeguard their growth more effectively, especially from weeds and winter weather. If you have a root cellar, utilize this space as well.
Using fall leaves can help you grow your root vegetables all year, even during winter! Just be sure to keep your vegetables covered, and water them occasionally.
Art projects can be fun for you and the whole family! You can use dry leaves or whole leaves for various projects. Decorate your house, old clothes or make cute Getty images. You can make leaf crafts in many different ways, so there's no shortage of ideas to come up with!
The essential part of art projects is having fun. As long as you have fun with your crafts, the idea doesn't matter as much!
Leaves can serve as shelter for organisms beneficial to your yard, gardens, and local ecosystem. Many insects and microorganisms use leaves as shelter during winter. These insects and other beneficial organisms help maintain the health of local plant life and soil health.
To help safeguard your local ecosystem, consider leaving some leaves in your yard. Our little friends would appreciate it and you'll be helping keep your lawn and local environment healthy!
Repurposing fall leaves helps keep your lawn (and area) green and clean! Recycling your shredded leaves into things like compost can boost your vegetable gardens or flower beds, or form nutrient-rich soil for the local ecosystem.
An easy solution, also, is renting a roll off dumpster. These can easily store your gathered leaves until you are ready to use or dispose of them. Rather than keep your leaves in a loose pile, a dumpster can streamline the process for you!
As spring turns to fall, try and implement some of the leaf management methods mentioned here. You will find they offer many benefits for both you and the community you live in!
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