2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Many gardeners doubt the advisability of collecting fallen leaves in the fall. Let's take a look at this point and find out if these actions are necessary
Fallen leaves in the garden
The information is useful for those who prefer to leave leaves under fruit trees until spring. If you think about the functionality and value of dead leaves as mulch, then you are making 6 mistakes.
1. Litter is an ideal material for pupation of larvae, for laying eggs by garden pests. In the spring, with the first heat, the pests become active. Nearby there is a bush or donor tree on which it is comfortable for them to live and reproduce, and with the first rays of the spring sun they will move to their favorite object. This moment will come before your first visit to the country.
2. Mulching with foliage is not recommended. Litter tends to cake. The root system is sealed. There is no air access, moisture is blocked, and plants start to dry out.
3. In old gardens, fungal problems, gray rot, powdery mildew, late blight, anthracnose, etc. are often encountered. Abandoned leaves increase the likelihood of dispersal, penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the ground, where they successfully winter. Foliage contributes to the progression of diseases.
4. Decaying leaves are an excellent medium for bacterial growth. Through the injured bark, the tree is attacked and bacterial problems arise.
5. Leaves remaining on the lawn for the winter are flattening and caking. As a result, rotten spots and bald patches appear on your lawn.
6. You are hoping for nutritious compost, but … A green leaf has poor chemistry. The main value is to loosen, lighten the soil, give it air and moisture capacity.
Disposal of fallen leaves
Some summer residents adhere to the principles of eco-farming and prefer to leave deciduous debris under trees, or put it in compost. The first method is unacceptable, as indicated above. Let's talk about the second - composting.
Indeed, if you have an ideal garden that receives regular insecticide treatment and is free from fungi, without signs of damage, composting can be used. Place litter in compost pits with layers of soil (peat, manure).
In an old garden, with thickened plantings, a healthy environment is reduced. Leaves left for wintering will aggravate the situation. Take them out of the territory, burn them, take them to the forest.
How to remove leaves
The collection process is not a problem. If you have a fan rake, then around one tree you will clean it in 10-15 minutes. The course of work consists in raking up litter in heaps, in carrying it out of the site or storing it for overheating.
For transportation, you will need bags, possibly a trolley. Helps in cleaning a sheet of plywood, polycarbonate or spunbond. They are adapted to be dragged to the incineration site, which helps to save loading energy.
Use a lawn mower when planning to punch. Collecting in a container, the technique will grind the foliage, and it will grind faster. Clean the lawn carefully and only with a fan rake. They are harvested gently without damaging the root system. Don't forget about roofs and gutters.
Not all trees fly around at the same time. It is better to wait until the end of the leaf fall, so as not to get down to business several times. It is important to be in time before the snow falls. In rainy weather, it is more convenient to work with rubberized gloves.
Tips for summer residents on foliage processing
• Garbage bags (black 120 l) are used for reheating. Pour a bucket of water into a full, lightly tamped bag and tie. If fresh manure is available, add. Take the bag to the far corner of the area, pierce it with an awl / scissors and leave to overheat.
• A warm bed or deep container for planting is filled with leaves, tamped and covered with earth.
• Boxes 1, 2x1, 2 m are filled with foliage and covered with 20-30 cm soil. In spring, zucchini, pumpkins, etc. are planted in these containers, and so on for 2 seasons. After 3 years, everything is successfully re-heated, the resulting soil is added to the beds. For circulation, it is desirable to have three such containers.
• Perennials can be covered with dry litter. For example, bulbous flowers bloom earlier after this technique. So that the plants do not soper, timely disclosure is required in the spring.
For harvesting foliage in the fall, everyone makes a decision on their own. Remember that by removing litter, you will minimize the incidence of your green pets. No wonder that experienced summer residents devote November holidays to this event.
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