Leaves Falling and Leaf Cleanup
Have you ever noticed areas in the forest where leaves are allowed to fall with no cleanup each year, that there is often rich soil with good topsoil and organic matter? This is because the cycles of nature naturally build the soil. Leaves fall to feed the ground. This is this way nature intended, and we civilized humans like to make things look nice and clean.
In some cases, like keeping your tree wells clean and composting your soil to build it up, this cleanup works with nature and your plants. In other cases, this can cause problems in your soil and for the plants growing under those trees dropping their leaves. The ground is the foundation for the health of your garden and land.
When it comes to your grassy areas that you want to keep green and full, I recommend raking up your leaves periodically as they fall to avoid buildup that can kill your grass. I also recommend this for mulched and gravel area of your land because when the leaves build up with rain, snow, and deep freezing they tend to stick to the ground and mold you’re mulch, making them harder to get up.
As for your bare dirt areas, I recommend waiting until all the leaves have fallen for one big cleanup. You can do them periodically as well, but it will not hurt the bare dirt if the leaves lay there for a month or more.
Here's my suggestions for leaf cleanup and what to do with your leaves.
When leaves are filling up your gutters/downspouts, this is a great time to check them and clean them out to prepare for rainy seasons. I suggest checking them twice a month until all the leaves have finished falling.
Mix leaves into your compost. Remember not to mix acid leaves into the compost you will be using for vegetable gardens and landscaped areas that don't require overtly acid soil.
Use your leaves as mulch to put around shrubs and trees. This is done to feed the ground, and also to help protect roots from deep freezing. Having leaf buildup around the plant wells will not cause an oxygenation problem when your plants are dormant and the temperatures are freezing outside.
Nature is wild with survival of the fittest, where the strongest cultivars tend to have deeper roots and better health that often creates the longest lived plants. I suggest encouraging strength and health in your garden rather than trying to protect it too much from the elements of nature. Work WITH nature!
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