Some people may find scattered autumn leaves as something of a loaded chore; and they can be literally shedding everywhere. Other than exerting the extra effort to sweep or rake these off of your lawn, additional garbage is also accumulated inside your garbage bins. But there are now several ways to eliminating these leaves, and putting each piece into good use. Fall composting is one solution; and it can certainly help create something significant out of your precious, fallen leaves.
Some people may find scattered autumn leaves as something of a loaded chore; and they can be literally shedding everywhere. Other than exerting the extra effort to sweep or rake these off of your lawn, additional garbage is also accumulated inside your garbage bins. But there are now several ways to eliminating these leaves, and putting each piece into good use. Fall composting is one solution; and it can certainly help create something significant out of your precious, fallen leaves.
The importance of leaf collection
Composting leaves can help lawns from experiencing damages such as acquiring lawn diseases for one. It is a fact that when thick layers of whole leaves are left on the ground, your lawn will gradually have to endure a few injuries. So gather all of the leaves so that your lawn gets that much needed sunlight. Also collect every leaf on the ground so that moisture is not held or trapped in. With this in perspective, you can also start gathering all of the leaves in sight by means of raking, blowing, or manual picking.
Don’t burn your leaves!
Burning fall leaves may be an easy way out. But it can also contribute more into the existing air pollution. So the best option for you is to simply compost these organic scraps. But if you’re not up for the task, you can always collect these for your town to use (leaf compost can be used to supplement public gardens and parks). Most communities actually use leaf compost for nourishing their garden soil and plants. So don’t burn your leaves. Compost these so that you can reap a free and nutritious organic fertilizer and soil amendment.
Leaf composting within your premises
Now, as far as construction goes, you can go as simple as creating a ring made out chicken wire material. You can also have this molded outdoors, as an outdoor setup usually helps hold more leaves throughout the year. But don’t be restricted, as you can also compost indoors using a specialized composter. Now with this setup, you can already leave the leaves to compost down on its own. But of course, make sure that you only pile leaves that have been previously shredded (can be mowed over or placed inside a leaf shredder) and dampened with water. Not only will this technique reduce bulkiness, shredded leaves will also be able to breakdown much faster.
The importance of aerating the compost system
Make it a point to have your shredded or chopped leaves mixed and aerated to continuously introduce oxygen into the composting system. The live microorganisms that are actually present in the compost also live on air. So when you’re fall composting, make it a habit to aerate the compost regularly. This will not only help the leaves to breakdown faster, it will also keep the material from producing smelly odors.
According to master composter, Kathy Rubino, composting “has been a gardener’s and farmer’s best friend since the beginning. All organic matter eventually breaks down. Composting your own leaves uses the same principles that nature uses.” So when is the right time to compost? The right time is now. Composting can be a year-round thing, so you can definitely start today.
