When I was a house dweller, I'd usually just shred the leaves with the mulching lawn mower then rake and/or blow them into the garden and flower beds around the yard as winter cover. It adds a blanket during the winter for the perennials.
I'd also add a layer or two in the compost bin and mix it in and let the bugs do the work during the winter to break it down into rich soil. I brought a couple 55 gallon plastic drums home from work, drilled a bunch of 1" holes in the sides for air transfer. Used them for a compost bin - layers of dirt, green matter/grass clippings, leaves/brown matter, egg shells, etc)
I'd tip the barrels over every couple of weeks and roll it around to mix things up. It worked pretty good. It was not odd to see the compost bin steam a little in the winter as the stuff decayed into rich soil. Compost is like black gold for plants and it should smell sort of sweet and earthy. If your compost pile smells nasty, your are not doing it right.
In the spring, I'd till the leaves and compost into the soil to mix in nature's free organic matter along with some composted cow $hit. Maybe sprinkle in some slow release commercial fertilizer and some epsom salts but that was pretty much it.
A rich soil makes for easier gardening and gardening should not be stressful. It's rather therapeutic for me.
(Gardening is different than farming. Farming is a tough business while gardening is a hobby)
Edited by user
3 years ago |
Reason: Not specified
