Fall: Too Many Leaves, Too Little Time!
Posted by Sprouts Staff
Fall is a wonderful time of year and perhaps one of the most beautiful seasons. It’s at this time of year the leaves begin to change (if you are living up north). The transition from the lush greens to the deep reds to the rustic browns is one of Mother Nature’s gifts to us. And this is a gift that keeps on giving with the leaves, later on, wreaking havoc all over our yards! Even down here in South Florida, we have leaves to contend with (although not as pretty as the fall leaves of our northern companions).
Leaving them scattered across our yards is not an option. Too many leaves covering a yard can kill off the grass and other plants, not to mention they can be an eyesore. Burning the leaves is never a good option. The burn drums up a lot of smoke and down in the south can become a major disaster during the dry season. Throwing them out in the trash is never a good idea; there is little space left and landfills as it is. Craft projects are a fun way to use up some leaves, but still won’t solve the problem. What is one to do? The best answer is COMPOSTING!
By composting you not only solve the problem of what to do with your leaves, but you create a rich soil for your other plants to thrive! Buying compost at the store can be quite costly. Making your own compost not only saves money, but it keeps recyclable plant material out of over crowded landfills.
Don’t think you have the time to start your own compost pile? Composting is a much easier than you think. Once you have your pile started it takes less than ten minutes a day to maintain.
First, obtain a plastic garbage can with a lid and make a number of holes (a little bigger than a quarter) spread out through the sides of the can.
Next, you add to the pile your leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and some garden soil. For the best possible mix of materials you should have about two parts dry leaves to one part grass clippings. Add just enough water to make everything moist, but not overly soaked with water. Other materials you can add to the mix are shredded , coffee grounds, other garden clippings, paper towels, and other organic materials. Things you want to avoid mixing in are fats, oils, meats, perennial weeds, diseased plants, as well as pig and pet droppings.
Finally, you want to keep your composting can in the shade with the lid (which also needs holes) closing the top. You can add kitchen scraps and other organics as you accumulate them. Then once every few days you want to mix up the pile with a shovel. This will mix up the ingredients and get the oxygen and nitrogen moving throughout which aids in the composting process.
Do not be alarmed if the pile seems warm in temperature. You are trying to create a hot humid environment to speed up the natural composting process. These composting bins can get quite warm which is just what the pile needs to turn into compost.
In a few months (depending on where you’re living and the time of year), you will have a nice pile of compost to use for potting soil, mulch your garden, and fertilze your yard. When you use the compost make sure to leave a quarter of the material in the bin. The left over material will aid in producing your next pile of compost.
2 Responses to “Fall: Too Many Leaves, Too Little Time!”
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December 26th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
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