The Garden At Rock Cottage by Lance Brilliantine

Dead to Living

I love Indian summer with its lovely colors and crisp, fall air. It is invigorating, despite the fact the garden season is now over. Trees are beginning to shed their leaves and plants are either withering to the ground or dying in preparation for the onslaught of winter.

This means that one of the major fall gardening chores is upon us. Gardeners need to remove dead plants and weeds, cut back perennials to within an inch or two of the soil, and rake leaves - that seem to be everywhere. What to do with all that dead matter is always a question? Some folks take the stuff to the dump; others burn it; and still others simply place it at the roadside for the Town to remove.

If you are lucky enough to be in an area where you can still burn leaves and garden debris, the resulting ashes are one of the best coverings for garden beds and lawns. Burning destroys weed seeds and eliminates the eggs of insects. It also provides a useful fertilizer for gardens that returns nutrients used up during the gardening season.

If you cannot burn garden debris, be sure to remove leaves and plants that have suffered from fungal diseases or blights. These infected materials are best bagged and disposed of where they will not re-infect plants. Spray infected trees and plants with a fungicide spray before winter sets in. (Using a fungicidal spray is also standard procedure for roses that are pruned back at this time of year.)

Now, what to do with the remaining debris? Leaves, grass, dead insects, and even animal droppings (except for dog/cat droppings) all put nutrients back into the soil. Leaves contain fifty to eighty percent of the nutrients a tree uses in the growing season and are high in phosphorous. Leaves acidify soil as they decompose, and also provide protection over winter, so are excellent as mulch around rhododendrons and azaleas. Leaves can aerate and improve the quality of sandy or clay soils.

It is unfortunate so many people rake away and discard leaves. This disrupts the natural cycle for soil replenishment and ultimately reduces soil health. While we rake (and try to burn) leaves at Rock Cottage, we do recycle some each fall in the compost bin. About half of those raked are shredded and used as mulch around trees and shrubs.

Shredding leaves will reduce their volume by up to 90 percent. Shredding also facilitates decomposition. A light covering of shredded leaves is a good dressing for vegetable gardens. Be careful when using shredded leaves on flower beds - they may retain too much moisture, contribute to winter heaving, and can interfere with the growth of spring bulbs. It is better to use shredded bark or peat moss.

Composting leaves and using the compost as a garden spread is a great way to return nutrients to the soil. Leaves take six months-to-two years to compost (oak leaves take the longest time). Decomposition will be accelerated if you add lawn clippings, cow, chicken, or horse manure, and other organic materials like discarded vegetables (uncooked, of course). A few handfuls of garden lime speeds decomposition and ensures the resulting compost is not too acidic. There are a number of commercial compost accelerators that can be used - but these are no more effective than some potato skins and a handful of fertilizer.

The composting process can be accelerated if the compost pile is aerated. This means that the pile of composting material should be turned with a pitchfork every month or so. Wetting the decomposing material as you add new matter to the compost pile hastens decomposition and supports the growth of bacteria.

As leaves and other debris decompose, they produce dark, granular compost that is rich in nutrients. Take the compost from the bottom of the compost pile and add new material on top. Compost can be spread over soil in spring, or worked into the soil as part of the spring cleanup process. Compost can be complimented with fireplace ashes every other year to provide additional phosphorous. However, never use ashes resulting from commercial fireplace logs that contain paraffin and some toxins).

The use of compost on a yearly basis will regenerate soil and eliminate the need for many processed fertilizers that tend to seep into ground water and add too much salt to soil.

Composting is an excellent way to take dead materials and support the rebirth of plants in spring.

You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.

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