The fall season brings a layer of dead leaves across every lawn with deciduous trees nearby. Leaving these leaves on the lawn isn’t healthy for the grass, since thick layers of leaves block sunlight. Mowing over the leaves or gathering them up and throwing them away are two options, but there are also several ways to put fallen leaves to good use around the yard and garden.
Shredded Mulch
Fallen leaves are an economical alternative to purchasing mulch for use on flower and vegetable gardens. Whole leaves are likely to blow away and don’t decompose very quickly, so the leaves should be shredded before using them as mulch. This can be done by running over them with a lawn mower, but using a shredder/vacuum is easier. Shredder/vacuum products from Stihl and Echo convert for use as a blower to move all the leaves into a pile, then switch back to vacuum mode to collect and shred the leaves.
When using shredded leaves as mulch, apply a layer 2 to 3 inches deep over the soil surface. Like other mulches, shredded leaves help retain moisture in the soil, insulate the plant roots during the winter, and reduce the number of weeds. Just keep the mulch from touching the stems and bases of plants, to provide air movement and limit the risk of disease development.
Compost Additive
One of the fundamentals of composting is layering dry ingredients with fresh, moist ingredients. This is typically done at a rate of 2/3 dry to 1/3 moist. Shredded or whole leaves are a great source of dry material to layer with fresh kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and farm animal manures. Shredded leaves will decompose faster than whole leaves, so collecting them with a shredder/vacuum before use will speed-up the composting process.
Dry leaves can also be stored in bins or garbage bags over winter for use in spring compost piles. Since decomposition happens best when dry materials and fresh materials are applied together, the leaves that are hoarded over winter will help balance out fresh garden scraps from weeding and pruning in the spring. The resulting compost works well as a supplemental fertilizer for both lawns and gardens.
Leaf Mold
Another way to use fallen leaves is to turn them into leaf mold. This is basically a compost made entirely out of dry leaves. It has little nutritional value, but works well as a soil additive. When mixed into the soil, leaf mold increases the soil’s ability to retain water and gives it a lighter texture that is better for growing plants.
You can make leaf mold by gathering fallen leaves into a circular wire cage or a black garbage bag. Lightly moisten the pile, and keep checking it and watering occasionally to make sure it doesn’t dry out. The decomposition process will take at least a year. To speed it up, you can shred the leaves and/or add a nitrogen source, like fresh grass clippings or composted manure, to jump-start decomposition.
