Six Things to Do with Your Leaves

Every autumn, it’s the same story: Rake the leaves, put them in bags, put them on the curb. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you wonder if all those leaves could be put to better use, the answer is yes.

Let Them Rot

Leaf mold is an easy-to-make soil conditioner, rich in magnesium and calcium. And the best thing about it is that all you have to do is wait for them to rot.

Leaves decay best in a pile at least 3 feet high, wide, and long. You can build a bin from wooden posts and chicken wire, form a circle of chicken wire with no posts, or even use garbage bags with dime-size drainage holes poked in the bottom and sides. Whatever method you choose, use damp leaves and pack them in tight. Over time, the leaves break down into crumbly brown humus you can use as a moisture-retaining mulch or a conditioner that enhances any type of soil.

It usually takes at least a year to turn from leaf to mold, more if you’re in a cold or dry area. You can speed things up by shredding large leaves before you start the process, stirring the leaves occasionally, and, if you’re in a cold area, breaking up the frozen bits.

Dump Them in the Garden

If you’re not in the mood to make mold, you can simply put the leaves on your garden as a mulch. Mulch keeps the soil moist and discourages weeds from taking up residence. Small leaves are less likely to form a water-shedding mat than large ones. Waxy leaves and pine needles take a longer time to break down — that’s not necessarily bad if you want a long-term mulch.

In spring, you can till the leaves into the soil — wait until the soil is dry enough that a ball of it breaks when you drop it, but not so dry that if won’t form a ball at all.Or you can leave them on the surface. In cool regions, or if spring is rainy, rake them aside to let the soil warm up for a few weeks and then rake them back into place.

Shred Them with a Mulching Mower

Speaking of mulches, if you’re really not in the mood to do anything with your leaves, run over them a couple of times with a mulching mower. A thick layer of large leaves covers your grass, denies it light and moisture and eventually kills it, but shredded leaves slip between the blades of grass, adding organic matter to the soil. Shredding works best if you don’t have tons of leaves. Mow often, because it’s easier to get through a small covering of leaves than a thick one. Shredding leaf piles creates a lot of dust, so consider protecting your lungs with a face mask and your eyes with glasses or goggles.

Make a New Bed

Rather than spend a weekend next spring digging out lawn where you want a new garden bed, let your leaves do the work for you this fall. Rake a 3- to 4inch deep layer onto the area, run the mulching mower over them, add more leaves and repeat. The shredded leaves form a dense cover that smothers the grass. In spring, if the leaves haven’t broken down completely, either rake them aside to let the soil warm or till them into the soil. If you don’t have a lot of leaves, skip the shredding step and leave a layer of whole leaves 3 to 5 inches thick to smother the grass.

Keep Them for Compost

A well-balanced compost pile combines “green” and “brown” material. Green material is rich in nitrogen and moist, such as lawn clippings, vegetable scraps and coffee grounds. Brown materials are drier and tend to be carbon rich, such as leaves, straw and bark. If you keep a pile of leaves beside your compost bin, you have a pile of brown material ready whenever you add more green. The recommended blend is about 50-50 green and brown.. Turn it once a week and keep it damp; in three months or so, you have compost ready for your lawn and garden.

Play with Them

Who can resist jumping into a pile of leaves or kicking them around? If you have kids, let them go wild. Be prepared to rake up again afterwards. And if you’re thinking of joining them, remember: the bigger you are, the larger the pile of leaves has to be. The ground is harder than it was when you were a child.

Copyright 2008, Sears Brands, L.L.C.