14Oct

Utilize Fall Leaves in Your Garden: What You Need to Know

Put Fall Leaves to Work in Your Garden

Do you remember how much fun it was jumping into a giant pile of leaves as a kid? Well as an adult, that big pile of leaves becomes less of a fun outdoor activity and more of a giant chore.

Raking fallen leaves does have a valuable upside, however.

Fall leaves are an excellent addition to any garden for homemade mulch or compost. Curious yet? Continue reading for a fall gardening hack on what to do with that big pile of fallen leaves.

Fall Gardening

Fall is a prime season for gardening. The warm soil temperatures and cool air temperatures allow plants to focus their energy underground. The summer heat has warmed the soil for months, allowing for prime soil temperatures. This is the perfect environment for roots to grow.

Fall gardening also allows the gardener to take care of their plants out of the blazing sun and into cooler, more manageable temperatures.

So, what can those ever-presenting fall leaves provide for your garden? The uses for fall leaves vary from feeding earthworms to insulating plants from the cold.

Compost for Garden Nutrients

Fall leaves actually provide quite a bit of nutrients for a garden. Homemade compost is a great way to increase soil porosity and create living nutrients for your garden.

Composting your leaves means you’re making a mixture of vital organic matter that can then be used as soil for your garden. You can leave your leaves in a pile, creating an easy, natural compost “bin” and you’re ready to go.

Compost is great for retaining moisture and building an environment where earthworms can thrive. Compost can also be used as a top dressing if you’re in need of mulch.

Mulch in the Fall

If you prefer to take an easier route or are short on time, you can scatter the leaves you have on hand around your plants or garden as mulch.

Placing fall leaves or shredded leaves around your plants will provide those same vital nutrients as compost but can also provide a way to prevent weeds from growing.

This is a convenient and fast way to provide a way to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil, keep those pesky weeds from growing, and prevent the soil from compacting. Poorly compacted soil won’t absorb water, nor will it provide enough oxygen for plants to grow and flourish.

Falling For Fall Leaves

Utilizing this natural resource can bring abundant life to your garden. From creating a carbon-rich compost bin for healthy soil or making a protective mulch for suppressing weeds and retaining moisture, your fall leaves bring life to your garden.

Hopefully, these gardening tips for fall gardening have been useful. A quality garden deserves quality products. Whether that is a big pile of natural leaves or store-bought mulch, McCarty Mulch & Stone is here to provide the highest quality landscaping for your gardening needs.

The quality landscape supplies you expect, and the service you deserve.