By Janet Castano
Approximately 75% of a tree’s nutrients are stored in the leaves. When you develop your landscape, a portion of that fertilizer is used to make leaves, which then flow during the harvest. These fallen leaves represent natural, organic sources for your landscape. If you let them pay you to take a bag and drag it to the end, you are not only “fertilizing” but also “renting”! In natural settings such as forests and plains, we see the leaf cycle functioning as it did from the beginning. Leaves fall off and accumulate like decay, protecting the soil from erosion, soil erosion, extreme temperatures, drought, and congestion. They grow over time, slowly releasing nutrients for growing plants. No one cultivates and grows the forest. No one has a bag! You can make this natural cycle work for you.
The easiest way to reuse leaves is to mow them. The scythe works quickly and efficiently on how to turn leaves into grass. Wearing leaves does not harm the grass and can actually benefit by shedding thin spots, thus discouraging weeds from growing. Try to scratch and you will never go back to cleaning!
Another method of recycling leaves is to collect them and use them for robbery. The old method of cutting the yard really works, but there are simple ways. Your standard type scythe can be used to blow them into Windows for quick and easy storage. Or, a scythe can be used to collect leaves. Two-inch-deep flower beds. Gardens should have two or three inches and shrubs and trees should have three to four inches. If you have extra leaves left over, store them in a warm place to fill up on rotten areas in June.
The third method of recycling is fertilizer. There are many approaches to fertilization, including sheet manure, canal fertilizer, and compost in traditional piles and bowls. Sheet fertilizer means spreading thin leaves on the plant and decomposing it. Then repeat with another layer. The leaves rot for a month or more to make the garden richer. Canal Fertilizer Fills the manure with a thin layer of soil to accelerate decay.
West Texas Food Bank welcomes any fallen leaves and picks up any leaves this fall!