What to do with fall leaves
and
fall pine needles?
In my last post we looked at pine cones, but not at pine needles and the fall leaves. When I look at the thick carpet of leaves and needles outside my window, I am always blown away because of how great it looks! The colorful new carpet flows away as if a new exterior decorator came to my house. Nevertheless, I feel I have to do something with them, not only to sweep them up as we track them into the house (as they stick to your shoes), and end up on your carpet.
A friend of mine had to remove a dwarf Alberta Spruce in front of her house, because it had grown tall and interfered with the electrical lines. (If you are not familiar, it is a dense ‘Christmas Tree’ shaped evergreen that grows very slowly.) Over maybe 35 years, it had grown from about 5 feet to over 14 feet and was becoming a problem. (The ‘dwarf’ designation of a tree doesn’t mean that it will stay that small, only that it will grow very slowly! Eventually it may grow beyond the site that was selected.) In this case, it also eventually sprouted branches from an entirely different spruce stock, indicating that the original stock was different.
In the early years- when it was under 8 feet tall, they decorated it as a Christmas Tree with lights and got many compliments from neighbors as to how pretty it was to drive by, particularly when it was covered with new snow and the lights shown through the snow cover. But over decades, it eventually outgrew its space.
When the tree and its stump were gone, there was a mountain of its dead pine needles forming a large mound in the middle of the front lawn. 35 years of growth produced 3 garbage cans worth of dead needles and debris under the tight, opaque branches. As she wanted to make everything into an even lawn, she started to put the dead pine needles into garbage bags. In the end she had three bags full of needles. She did not throw them out, but saved them for mulch.
Pine needle carpet Pine needles or pine “straw” is great for mulch. It is natural looking and light. Pine needles are great on slopes, as they won’t blow away or be washed away during heavy rain like other mulches. Needles are a renewable product. They break down relatively slowly compared to other mulches. As pine needles age they turn silver-grey. If you buy a bale of pine needles, you might find sticks and leaves in them.
You can also place them under acid loving plants such as camellias, magnolias, hydrangeas, dogwoods, magnolias, holly, azalea, evergreens, ferns, or rhododendron. Blueberry plants also love acid soil! Indeed, she used some of the debris as mulch for her blueberry plants.
You can also place them under acid loving plants such as camellias, magnolias, hydrangeas, dogwoods, magnolias, holly, azalea, evergreens, ferns, or rhododendron. Blueberry plants also love acid soil! Indeed, she used some of the debris as mulch for her blueberry plants.
But what about fall leaves? Leaves will decompose, but very slowly. To reduce decomposition time, we always - at the end of the mowing season, mow over them with the lawn mower to shred them. This would be after the the last time you felt you should mow the lawn. If you mow a couple weeks later when the leaves are dry and brittle, they will shred and break down more efficiently. Shredded leaves make good mulch not only for your lawns, but also for your garden. They will gradually turn into compost and enrich your soil.
Unfortunately, you cannot assume that all leaves make good compost for a vegetable garden. We learned that our Black Walnut leaves are bad for the tomatoes we grow in our garden each year. So you have to research what you use for composting and mulching in your area.
Unfortunately, we should not- and legally cannot in many places, burn leaves anymore. I still remember when in the old days, you could see low burning leaf piles. I still remember the smell and satisfaction of those fires and the smell of the smoke as it drifted through the area. It felt and smelled good! It felt like everyone was doing their part to tidy up the community and bring nature to balance.
Unfortunately, you cannot assume that all leaves make good compost for a vegetable garden. We learned that our Black Walnut leaves are bad for the tomatoes we grow in our garden each year. So you have to research what you use for composting and mulching in your area.
Unfortunately, we should not- and legally cannot in many places, burn leaves anymore. I still remember when in the old days, you could see low burning leaf piles. I still remember the smell and satisfaction of those fires and the smell of the smoke as it drifted through the area. It felt and smelled good! It felt like everyone was doing their part to tidy up the community and bring nature to balance.
Since then, it has become illegal to burn brush in many places and that has spurred a an increase in fires, due to debris left on the ground. We can look to California today as an example.
Well, we know better now. If it is your own property that generates debris, take care of it on your own. That is the best way to handle recycling.
Well, we know better now. If it is your own property that generates debris, take care of it on your own. That is the best way to handle recycling.
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