Autumn is dancing

By MEGAN RATHZ
When Nature Speaks

What is it about the season of fall that has so many of us captivated?

There is something about this season that has always had my heart. From the crisp coolness in the air that I find myself longing for in the heat of the summer, to the ease in the nights spent around a bonfire chatting over a glass of wine. The comfort of an oversized hoodie, the smell of a batch of chili simmering and a pan of pumpkin muffins in the oven with the game on, the excitement of taking the kids to the orchard and pumpkin patch, and most of all, the gorgeous colors of the crunchy leaves always reignite a sense of gratitude in me.

I am grateful that I live in a place where I truly experience all four seasons. Even though fall can feel fleeting from the dog days of the summer heat into what feels like immediate colder weather, we must not overlook or take for granted this season. An old expression says, “I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves.” We would not have the colors of autumn if it were not for the ‘sunburnt’ foliage from our trees, but the question begs: what do you do with your fallen leaves?

While we all enjoy the splendid sights this season offers us, we may not enjoy the cleanup the season of autumn entails. Once those leaves have given us their final visual treat and fall to the ground, many of us are left with a yard full of dead leaves that require a considerable amount of work. Have you ever realized that these once beautiful sparks of painted colors in our trees could be just the organic component our gardens could use to thrive?

Composting leaves is an inexpensive and valuable way to get nutrients to your garden. Composting is a mixture of ingredients used to improve soil. There are varieties of things that you can do that add nutrients to the soil in your garden such as coffee grounds or decomposed food, but what about leaves? Composting leaves may come with its challenges. The two biggest issues people run into with composting leaves are that they become matted, and they can take a long time to break down. When leaves mat, it makes it difficult to work with them, so shredding them is an essential step.

You probably either rake your leaves the old school way or you drop the mulching blade of your lawn mower and run them over. Either way, place the leaves in a container such as a trashcan. Adding organic matter containing nitrogen like grass clippings will further enhance the quality of the compost you yield. If you raked your leaves, you will want to shred your leaves a bit. Placing leaves out in the sun will help speed up the process of them breaking down. While you can add the leaves in this state to the soil in your garden, it is best if you place them in a trash bag to allow a bit of moisture to develop on the leaves.

According to the-compost-gardener.com, “Leaves contain varying amounts of lignin which is extremely resistant to decomposition. Usually, a year or two is needed to fully decompose leaves.” Some examples of leaves that are useful when trying to compost include ash, cherry, elm, linden, maple, and poplar, so be on the lookout if you have those varieties in your yard!

Leaves are one of the best amendments you can add to the soil in your garden. Worms also love them and help break them down further! Leaves help retain water in our gardens, which is great for our plants. Broken down matter of leaves helps promote healthy fungal growth in our gardens. Depending on the size of your yard and the number of leaves you have, it may not even be feasible to compost all your leaves, but I encourage you to take advantage of this free resource for the soil in your garden and at least try it with some of your leaves this season!

Nature is speaking to us. Everywhere we turn; nature is dancing around her sunburnt leaves, asking us to return what we can to the earth and our gardens. Are you listening?

Megan Rathz is a wife, mother and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.