Falling leaves are the essence of autumn around the world. As the air turns cool, before the rainy season begins, Washingtonians have a brief window to enjoy the array of color for photos and kid-friendly fun in the comfort of their own yard.
But, let’s be honest, dead leaves are also a pain in the behind.
For all you homeowners out there — we know your struggle. If you have more maple trees than evergreens in your yard this season, it can mean hours of leaf-blowing, raking and trash-bagging in a desperate attempt to save your lawn from an army of soggy plant matter.
It can also mean simply accepting the inevitable and watching from inside as your lawn slowly suffocates. If the leaves weren’t going to do it, the annoyingly reliable rainy season would. Right?
While we can’t help you there, we do know of a way you can reuse these hooligans to help your yard instead of hurt it. And it rhymes with… dirt-ilizer.
Fertilizer!
For all you “lazy” homeowners out there killing your grass — you’re actually on the right track! All those pesky fall leaves are actually freebies from Mother Nature to save your landscaping. Who knew?
Horticulturist Robert “Skip” Richter with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, says that the nutrition in one season of falling leaves is equal to about 75% of the tree’s annual nutrient intake.
Used well, these leaves have the potential to revitalize your hard — not harm it!
So what’s the trick to turning your fall leaves into fertilizer? It all comes down to one crucial lawn maintenance device: a lawnmower!
Let’s mow!
On a not so rainy day, try giving your lawn — and all those fall leaves — a good mow. This shreds them up into smaller pieces that will fall between the blades of grass. As winter wears on, they’ll not only keep the grass warm but feed your lawn. And in the spring, you’ll have the greenest, most nutrient-rich yard on the block!
Healthy garden
Another approach is to mow with a bag. It’ll take a while to cleanup your lawn, but in the end, you’ll have a few bags (or twenty) of shredded leaves — perfect for mulching the garden or adding to your food waste for some good composting material.
You can also simply redistribute leaves into less-trafficked parts of your yard, such as the garden. This keeps all your favorite perennials and trees warm for months, along with the (yes, I’ve said this already) awesome nutritional value!
We recommend breaking them down with a lawnmower for this option, as well, so they don’t end up back on your lawn.
It’s so easy to create good from a *sometimes* annoying annual occurrence. Just remember that not all leaves are ideal for composting (e.g. oak) before you get started.
If you have any questions or would like to hire MSNW to help with fall cleanup on your commercial property, contact us today at 360 – 366 – 4600. We’ll take care of it!