Leaves are not a problem until they are all over the yard, on plants or in the gutters. When we talk about fall leaves, we are talking large amounts, available around your property or from your neighbor. The good news is tree leaves are excellent sources of organic matter and nutrients for use in your landscape.
When trees start dropping their leaves in the fall, it's time to collect as many as possible for shredding and saving for next year's compost piles. Leaves may take five months to two years to compost by themselves. However, we can speed up the composting of leaves and have a good finished product if there is enough moisture, and you turn the pile often to ensure a good supply of oxygen.
There are other uses for leaves. Use shredded leaves as a mulch around shrubs and trees-a layer about 3-6 inches deep is ideal. You can till leaves into a vacant vegetable garden plot to improve aeration and drainage. Do this in the fall to allow sufficient time for leaves to decompose prior to spring planting.
Leaves are a valuable natural resource, containing 50 to 80 per cent of nutrients a tree uses during the year. Therefore, leaves should be managed and used rather than bagging and sending them to the landfill.
Javier Vargas, Smith County Master Gardener
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