Don’t just rake up your fall leaves – put them to good use in your garden!
We’re very excited for the fall here at Columbia Builders! Maryland experiences a truly beautiful fall season every year, with deep reds and oranges permeating the landscape. Eventually, those bright tree leaves will fall, and many homeowners will set to the task of raking their yards. Have you ever considered reusing these leaves and implementing them into your fall garden? Leaves are a great way to infuse nutrients into soil, allowing it to hold more water and increasing the life of the microbes within. Here are five excellent ways to repurpose fall leaves in your garden.
1. Mowing into the Lawn
Together with grass clippings, shredded leaves add necessary nutrients to your lawn that will reduce the necessity of fertilization later on. A mulching mower without the bag attachment is ideal for mowing leaves into your lawn. For best results, set the height of the mower to three inches. Shredded leaves shouldn’t sit any higher than 3/4 inches off the grass.
2. Vegetable Beds
You can also repurpose your fall leaves into cleared out vegetable beds. They won’t decompose fully during the winter, but any leftovers can be mixed into the soil during the spring.
3. Leaf Mold
Leaf mold is the decomposed result of wet leaves which makes a great, nutritional mulch for plants. To create this substance, simply pile the leaves in a place where they won’t blow away and wet them so that they’ll begin decomposing. To accelerate the process, turn them over a couple of times during the winter.
4. Compost Pile
Leaves are great additions to a compost pile since they’re rich in carbon, which is an essential part of the composting process. Mix your leaves into this pile now – or store them in trash bags to add during the summer when nitrogen-rich greens are abundant.
5. Outdoor Potted Plants
Your hardy potted plants will be going dormant in the coming weeks, so you should give some consideration to how you’ll protect them during the winter months. Dried fall leaves serve as an insulative cover that can help keep the potted plants in good shape until the warm weather returns!
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Columbia Builders is the home builder of choice in Howard County, offering homes in Ellicott City, Elkridge, Laurel, Columbia, Marriottsville, Fulton, Clarksville, Dayton, and Brookeville. No matter what the size and scope of your project, we have the skills, experience, and resources needed to bring your vision to life. We offer a level of customization that is truly unmatched and are committed to using materials and craftsmen of the highest quality, so you can trust that your new home is built to last.
If you’re ready to invest in a home that is built with your needs in mind, trust in us. Give Columbia Builders a call today at 410-730-0215 or use our contact form here. You can also keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Houzz, and Youtube, and don’t forget to check back on our blog for more tips and information!