Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services
Meeting The Needs Of Today With A Vision For The Future
Special Topics
Leaves Aren't Trash
Leave'm Where They Fall
I occasionally walk and run the roads and trails
in many of our beautiful city, county and state parks. Not once have I ever
seen an elf raking leaves up off the forest floor! Hopefully, you haven’t either?
My thinking is that if nature prefers that leaves piling up over the roots of trees, shrubs and perennials in the forest, maybe it’s not such a bad thing in our yards, either?
Now, before you start rolling your eyes, let me explain
again that the lawn directly under many
shade trees will never grow vigorously because of a lack of light
and water. So, instead of fighting that reality, why not replace the
lawn with dry shade-tolerant perennials and spring-flowering bulbs
(at left and below)? Then, instead of spending hours raking leaves,
just leave them alone! Oh, and don't worry, the leaves won't smother
the perennials.
In
the spring, you can run a mower over the bed to shred the leaves and
cut back the perennials, then cover the bed with an inch or two of fresh mulch
if desired. As the leaves decompose under the mulch they’ll return
nutrients and organic matter to the soil, just like on the forest
floor!
You can learn more about the project where I employed this strategy by clicking here.