Fallen leaves. What to do with autumn leaves

Autumn is the most colorful time of the year: the trees sparkle with all colors and shimmer with gold. Each of us tries to enjoy in the garden during these remaining warm days. And everything would be fine if it were not for the leaves, which, after the first cold nights, massively fall from the trees, covering the ground with a thick multi-colored carpet. Many gardeners are desperately wondering: “What to do with all this multicolor? Leave on the ground or remove? Don't panic: there are plenty of ways to make good use of fallen leaves, even in a small garden.

Leaf mulch is good for plants

Fallen mulch is a good mulch for all plants that naturally grow in a forest or on the edge of a forest. Having a leafy layer of mulch, they bloom in full force, as this corresponds to their living conditions in their natural habitat. During the new gardening season, the leaves decompose and enrich the earth with humus. By the way, such "natives of the forest" as raspberries and strawberries also react positively to the leaf cover in the root zone.

Fallen leaf composting - how does it work?

To get a special need to mix as much as possible different types leaves. How quickly the leaves will decompose depends on the type of tree. The leaves of linden, alder, beech, ash, birch, hazel quickly decompose. If you mix branches and pour a few shovels of finished compost, you can prevent the leaves from sticking together. For styling compost heap mix dry and wet leaves different breeds trees. Preliminary shredding of leaves contributes to better composting.

For faster decomposition, do not let the leaves cake, loosen them to saturate them with air

Difficult to decay foliage

The process of decomposition of foliage with a high content of tannins or coarse leaves, for example, from, chestnut, poplar, walnut or sycamore can be sped up by mixing them with wood shavings or grass clippings. Fresh herbs contain a lot of nitrogen, which contributes to good breeding microorganisms and the rapid decomposition of nutrient-poor autumn foliage. If lawn mowing season is over, use a regular compost accelerator. Straw chaff provides good aeration of the mixture, which also contributes to the acceleration of composting. In conclusion, the leaves are covered with a layer of garden soil and kept constantly moist. In the spring, the compost is shoveled, transferred from one section to another, and by the fall it will be completely ready.

Oak leaves decompose slowly

Leaf humus is an effective means of improving the soil

It usually takes a year for leaf humus to mature. Although humus does not contain nutrients, it is excellent for improving soil quality for all plants that prefer a loose, humus-rich base. In addition, floribundna roses can be spudded with leaf compost to protect them in winter time from damage caused by frost.

Oak leaves for rhododendrons

If the leaves of hornbeam and linden decompose rather quickly, then in oak, due to the high content of tannins, this process takes more than one year. Therefore, fresh fallen oak leaves are best used for mulching rhododendrons. As the leaves decompose, they release acid which helps lower the pH value in the soil - ideal conditions for rhododendrons and other horticultural crops that cannot tolerate too much high level soil pH.

Wire mesh leaf container

Flower beds are covered with fallen leaves, and all the compost bins are filled to the top? Then buy a few meters of wire mesh in the building supermarket and connect its ends with floral wire so that you get a voluminous basket.

It can be placed in the garden and used as a container for storing leaves. The layer of leaves, decomposing under its own weight, will gradually settle, so despite the fact that you filled the basket to the top, after a while a lot of space will be freed up for new leaves.

What is the best way to remove fallen leaves

While romantics, watching the swirling autumn leaves, languidly sigh and indulge in dreams, practical gardeners take up brooms and go to clean up their plot. But technological progress does not stand still, and hand tools have been replaced by easy-to-use leaf blowers. Despite all the benefits modern technology for harvesting autumn foliage, many Conservation Unions environment, such as the German Nature Conservation Union NABU, warn gardeners against the constant use of garden vacuum cleaners, which, above all, have a deadly effect on beneficial insects. According to the NABU fact sheet, the leaf blower has a suction speed of up to 160 km per hour. And the subsequent grinding function is deadly for beneficial insects that were on the fallen leaves and were crushed along with them.

Not only bugs, spiders and wood lice, but also frogs and small hedgehogs can be drawn in and thrown out through the nozzle by the air flow. According to research by the Bavarian Nature Conservation Association, many of these animals are of great ecological importance for the soil. The absence of small animals and foliage can lead to depletion of edaphon - a complex of soil living organisms - and hindering the formation of humus. In addition, due to the complete elimination of foliage and vegetation residues beneficial insects, hedgehogs and butterfly larvae are deprived of shelter, which is so necessary for them in the winter.

According to the Bavarian Nature Conservation Association, the use of a garden blower for cleaning roads, garage entrances, and streets causes certain problems. During suction, along with the leaves, fine dust particles containing soot, as well as cancer-causing carcinogens that are released into the atmosphere during abrasion of car tires and which we inhale, rise into the air.

Therefore, conservationists advise, if possible, to abandon the use of garden vacuum cleaners and blowers and recommend collecting foliage "the old fashioned way" - with a broom or rake. So, in flower beds, between shrubs, you can collect leaves with the help of special fan rakes that do not damage neighboring plants; on terraces, paths and other flat surfaces, it is convenient to collect leaves with a broom. One of the main advantages of assembling leaves "old fashioned" hand tools is that they can work in wet weather, which is not uncommon in autumn, which cannot be said about garden blowers, which work with wet foliage completely inefficiently.

If you would like to use a garden vacuum cleaner or blower, conservationists recommend choosing electrical models, which are much quieter than models with gasoline engine. This will spare the nerves of the neighbors and the peace of your family.

Expert Thomas Oberst from the German expert organization TÜV Süd, headquartered in Munich, advises to pay attention to the size of the bag when buying a garden vacuum cleaner. It should be easy to install, big hole so that it is convenient for an amateur gardener to pour out the contents. The bag should have a volume of 40-45 liters. A small bag will have to be emptied more often, and a bag that is too large creates inconvenience during work.

Translation: Lesya V.
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garden center "Your garden"

Autumn leaf fall upsets summer residents with additional chores. Many do not know how to properly use this valuable raw material. Manure from the leaves ideal remedy for the garden, flower garden and garden. Read about what leaves to collect, how to lay and apply the finished substrate.

leaf ground

The rotted leaves are called leaf soil. This product is considered nutritious and easy for plant growth, indispensable in complex mixtures for garden, horticultural crops, and is also highly valued by flower growers. It is added in the amount of 20-80% of the total amount of soil.

It takes two years to produce high-quality leafy soil, if you are satisfied with the rough structure, you can use it in half a year. A place for foliage is chosen in the depths of the garden, where no work is planned. The collected leaves are placed in high piles, about a meter. The process of complete decay continues for a long time and requires moisture. To obtain uniformity and enhance decay, it is advisable to shovel twice.

Experts do not recommend using chestnut and oak leaves to create such humus. Because the concentration of tannins slows down decomposition. In the future, humus from these leaves negatively affects the condition of the roots and is of little use for garden plants. Also, leaves affected by fungal and other infections should not be used.

Advantages of leaf land

When leafy humus is added to the soil, its structure improves, and the nutritional composition increases. The earth, flavored with such a product, breathes well, contributes to the supply of moisture to the roots, prevents the soil from drying out, protects plants from frost, and helps to survive drought.

Unripe leaf humus is a valuable addition to the compost, an ideal environment for earthworms. By converting fallen leaves into fertilizer, the gardener gets rid of the need to remove and burn foliage. Leafy earth is a natural acidifier, which allows you to refuse to buy peat, which is bought to improve the composition of the soil.

Leaf bookmark

Foliage can be stored in different ways: metal mesh structures are created, plastic containers. A very simple way is plastic bags sold for garden waste. The bag is tightly stuffed with collected leaves, tied, several punctures are made on the surface.

The main condition for production is the use of well-moistened foliage. If the weather is dry during the collection of raw materials, then at the time of laying it should be watered and the container / bag left open, so that later it can be additionally moistened by adding water. To speed up decomposition, it is recommended to combine leaves with green grass/tops.

Container for leaf litter

Mesh structures are an effective way to obtain leafy humus. You need a fine mesh wooden blocks or metal pipes, staples / wire, wire cutters, hammer.

The building is usually located under trees or in a place where you can moisten without harming neighboring plants. The container is created in the form of a cube. The size is maintained within 50-70 cm, h - 120. The pillars are deepened by about 30 cm. The grid is attached to the first support with brackets or wire in 3-4 places, then it is rolled out to the second pillar - it is fixed. And so sequentially closes on the first support, forming a mesh box. The excess mesh is cut off with wire cutters, the protruding ends, in order to avoid injury, should be bent with a hammer.

The use of leaf humus

Young humus is obtained after 6-12 months. It has a rough structure with remnants of the skeleton / petioles of the leaves. Used as an additive for soil mixtures open ground and container landings. The product is relevant for mulching, adding to garden compost, lawn repair.

Aged humus is prepared for about 2 years. Represents a homogeneous friable mass, dark color. This substrate is good for seed germination and seedling production. Together with fine-grained sand/loam, garden compost leafy soil is ideal for growing indoor plants. In its pure form, it is applied for hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, heathers, pieris and other acidophiles that prefer acidic soil.

Autumn-autumn ... As the song says, the forest has cooled down and shed its leaves ... This time is truly colorful and mysterious. You walk, and the leaves rustle under your feet. For janitors, leaf litter is a real problem, but for gardeners, on the contrary, it is an excellent means of improving soil quality. Indeed, from the fallen yellow, red, brown decoration, you can prepare a very good humus to enrich the soil in the garden. Such a fertilizer donated by nature itself has a harmonious combination of properties, so more and more summer residents prefer natural to chemical or artificial.
Collection of leaf litter

Falling leaves: is it useful?

Many argue that the humus from the foliage of walnuts and other trees does not contain beneficial substances. But they are wrong. Such fertilizers contain sulfur, iron, phosphorus, nitrogen and other trace elements that are essential for soil and plants. In addition, leaf litter loosens the ground, retains moisture in hot weather and saturates the soil layer with oxygen. In addition, humus is a favorite habitat for earthworms, which provide invaluable assistance to gardeners.

Mother nature thought everything through so subtly that a person is sometimes amazed. solar energy accumulated green crown. And in autumn, the leaves falling from the trees perfectly fertilize the soil. Many have taken note: since in the forest in the bosom of nature, so to speak, everything grows without chemical additives and artificial fertilizers, why not use this principle for the benefit of your garden. Therefore, leaf mulch has become indispensable assistant in the garden and at the dacha.

Leaves of ash, cherry, walnut, oak and other trees give new life soil-dwelling organisms, which, in turn, gradually process the material that has got to them. Such complex "connections" saturate the soil with useful elements, and harmful substances broken down into simple components. As a result of cohesive work, plants receive organic supplements without harming the environment.


Autumn leaves - future fertilizer
Many years of experience of gardeners proves that fertilizing in the fall means getting an unsurpassed harvest next year. All the advantages of natural humus are evident:

• saving money (useful for the family budget),
• soil nutrition (good for plants, insects and small animals),
• preventing the emergence of weeds and normalizing the temperature of the ground cover at different times of the year (useful for the crop).

Recipes for making humus

There are several types of humus from leaf litter. Each of them differs in its composition and method of preparation of fertilizer. Fallen walnut leaves, for example, are very popular. Even if there are no trees in the country, you can use fallen leaves from the forest. Bring them home and make humus.


Composting box
The recipe is the following:

1. dig a hole with dimensions of 1 m * 1 m, the depth should not exceed 1-1.5 m;
2. collect all the leaves on the site and brought from other places and dump them into the prepared earthen "container";
3. pour a bunch of water;
4. tamp carefully;
5. fill it with soil (the thickness of the soil varies between 0.2-0.3 m).

In the spring, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage and other vegetables are planted in this “enriched” area. In autumn, after harvesting, you should dig a hole and scatter prepared humus from rotted leaves throughout the area. If there is some natural "wealth" left in the pit - good. It is covered with earth, and part of the contents remains for the next year.


leaf compost
Of particular note is the humus from large leaves walnut. They contain more organic matter than other foliage. In order to fertilize the soil with such humus in the future, you need to do the following:

• lay the leaves in the compost heap;
• dilute 20-30 gr. nitrogen fertilizer in 10 liters of water and spray the pile with the prepared composition;
• in the spring, periodically shake with a pitchfork and moisten the foliage in a compost heap.

Remember that walnut leaves are very "hard" to decompose. Therefore, in order to quickly turn them into top dressing for the soil, it is better to add mowed grass or sawdust.


leaf picker
High-quality humus from the foliage is a dark, crumbly mass, homogeneous in color and texture, without the content of whole leaves. To make high-quality humus, you need to follow one rule: the leaves must always be wet. This does not require a large amount of oxygen, as for compost, but moisture is needed. So after laying the leaves in a container or pit, they must be poured with water and moistened periodically.

So, the time has come to get acquainted with the intricacies of using rotted leaves:


Leaf litter mulch

• In winter, a cover of leafy mulch is useful as a top, protective layer: from weeds, soil leaching, weathering.
• It is highly not recommended to prepare fertilizers from foliage fruit trees and berry bushes, since pathogens can “live” on the leaves. To get at least some benefit from the decoration of fruit-bearing trees, the leaves are burned, and the resulting ash is used in the garden.
• Leaf litter is used for fertilizer not only vegetable crops but also fruit trees and bushes. To do this, a square with a side of 1.2 m is dug along the perimeter of the tree growth. Upper layer soil (about 0.2 m) is carefully removed so as not to damage the roots of the plant. Then the leaves are folded here and 2 cups are evenly added chicken manure. From above, the mulch is abundantly watered with water. After a few days (2-3 days), the future humus is covered with soil. So, the trees "feed" themselves. In addition, in the cold season, fallen leaves will protect the plant from frost.
• If there is no need to enrich the soil beneficial substances, and the “golden” decoration interferes, you can call on a lawn mower to help. She will crush the crumbled leaves, which until spring will independently “feed” the soil. You just need to remove the basket from the lawn mower first.

Leaf mulch - good fertilizer, which enriches the soil and loosens it. One more thing undeniable dignity: thanks to humus, you can “lure” insectivorous birds and hedgehogs to the site, which will save you from annoying pests (for example, from a bear).