Fall comes slowly on the Central Coast, but it does come. And soon the autumn leaves that look so lovely on the trees will be covering our lawns & flower borders. Many of us are in the habit of raking up our leaves and sending them off in the green waste containers. But did you know that leaves can actually be a source of nutrition for your soil and plants?
In her recent blog on Leaves and Mulch, Catherine Dougherty calls leaves the "final gift of the season" and she couldn't be more correct. If added back to the soil as composted leaf mold, this fall's leaves will break down and add nutrients to the soil for seasons to follow.
Leaves, however, can take a long time to break down and must be shredded before being added back to the soil. One can either process the leaves through a shredder or simply rake them onto the lawn and run the lawnmower over them. Once shredded the leaves can either be added directly to the flower beds or the compost pile. Either way in several seasons time they will completely break down and become nutrients for the plants from which they came.
If you would like to learn more about composting, please check out The Art of Composting for easy steps to create one.
Catherine Dougherty is an avid, experienced gardener living in rural Oklahoma where Halloween barn dances are still quite common. You can read more about her gardening experience and wisdom on her blog In the Garden and More.
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