The first storm of autumn blows heavily from the south, the wind tearing through the trees. Then, I find my garden carpeted with leaves. Maple, pin oak, apple, redwood and willow leaves blanket flower beds, lawn and vegetable garden with an abundance of organic matter that could never be bought. While some may think fallen leaves a nuisance, they are not. Consider what they do for the health and wealth of your garden.
FEED THE SOIL CREATURES: Not only do leaves feed people — think nutritious salad greens, chard and spinach — they also feed the unseen workers of our food web. Earthworms, soil microbes, beneficial fungi and bacteria all need to feed on decaying leaves to build good soil.
PROTECT THE WILD ONES: Frogs, salamanders, snakes, overwintering butterflies, pollinators and many more all need fallen leaves for shelter. Leave a few on the lawn and rake the rest under the bushes in the shrub border. Mulch around trees, shrubs and perennials with shredded leaves. The wild things that make our gardens hum will thank you.
ADD NUTRIENTS TO SOIL: Digging shredded leaves directly into the soil is a great way to boost nutrition. Shredded and mulched, or dug into the soil, leaves add nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, carbon, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron zinc and boron.
COOK THE COMPOST: Dried leaves are loaded with carbon, one of the primary ingredients necessary to make a good compost pile heat up. Simply put, carbon is the brown material that provides energy for microorganisms that break down organic matter. The best way to add leaves to a compost pile is to shred dry leaves with the lawn mower before adding to the mix.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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