[Ag-eq] Autumn Leaves

[Tracy Carcione]

My husband and I go around, taking bagsful of leaves from the piles our
neighbors have pushed into the street for pickup.  The neighbors probably
think we're weird, but it gives me plenty of leaves to feed my garden. 
Though I sometimes wonder if I'm also importing other people's weeds.
Tracy

> I know that your seasons are opposite to mine;  you are part way through
> Spring while New Zealand is part way through autumn/fall, but you might
> like to put this little article away and pull it out when autumn does come
> around for you, which, take my word for it, it will.
>
>        Jewel
> AUTUMN LEAVES
> For some home owners, autumn leaf fall is a curse, another chore to rake
> them up and clear the gutters.
> For a number of others, leaf fall is a blessing and they gladly collect
> the leaves to make leaf mould.
> Leaf mould is excellent for improving soil, also as a lawn conditioner and
> mulch over gardens.
> It can be used in seed raising mixes and potting mixes.
> Leaf mould is easy to make, its free with a little effort on your part and
> its a good substitute for peat moss in your gardens.
>
> Also if you have bare vegetable or flower gardens either leave the leaves
> as a cover over the area or place a good layer over the gardens yourself.
> Sprinkle garden Lime over the leaves then spray them with Thatch Busta
> which will help break down the mat of leaves, getting the gardens ready
> for spring.
> This cover of the leaves will prevent a lot of weeds from growing in the
> bare gardens.
> Now to make your own leaf mould with what is left or what you can collect
> from else where.
> There are two ways to do this and one is much faster than the other.
> The fast way is to lay some leaves over a flat area of lawn an inch or two
> thick and the with your rotary mower adjusted to the lowest setting run
> over the leaves with your catcher on.
> Repeat this with another layer of leaves and so on.
> When your catcher is ready to empty, open a black plastic rubbish bag and
> put a few handfuls of leaves and any grass clippings into the bottom of
> the bag.
> Sprinkle over the leaves a handful of garden lime and then spray with
> Thatch Busta at 10 ml per litre. (If you don't have Thatch Busta but have
> Mycorrcin, then use it at 15mls per litre.)
> Now add a few more handfuls of mashed up leaves and repeat the lime and
> spraying.
> Press down when bag is full to compress the material and then you can add
> a lot more.
> Finally when the bag is full enough to still be able to tie off, tie the
> top and with a small nail or thin blade screw driver punch lots of small
> holes all over the bag.
> Toss the bag into a sunny out of the way area and leave for a month or so.
> After a few weeks pick up the bag, give it a shake and put it back with a
> different side facing upwards.
> Repeat this about every month or so.
> The bag will appear to have more space in it as the material coverts to
> leaf mould.
> Within about 6 months you should have a lovely crumbly product that smells
> good.
> The sprinkling of lime is important as the leaves that fall are acidic and
> you want them sweet so the bacteria will work breaking them down to mould.
> The Thatch Busta or Mycorrcin is also very important as they supply the
> food that increases the microbe populations which speeds up the process.
> The alternative method is to place the leaves into a rubbish bag without
> using a rotary mower to break them up. Otherwise the lime and spray are
> used between layers and tied off as above.
> This way will take at least twice as long to get your leaves into good
> leaf mold (say about a year)
> Without the lime and Thatch Busta/Mycorrcin then about two years.
> If you are not able to clear the leaves and are going to leave them where
> they fall, then the best thing to do after they have finish falling is to
> sprinkle some garden lime over them and spray with Thatch Busta.
> Repeat the Thatch Busta spray every month or so to speed up break down.
> If you haven't planted your spring bulbs yet then you should get cracking
> now.
> If you are planting a bed of bulbs then sprinkle the area with Rok Solid
> and Bone Flower.
> If you cant find bone flower use blood & bone.
> Rake the two products into the bed then plant your bulbs.
> Remember to place the tallest growing spring flowers at the back or if a
> bed in the open place tall growing ones in the centre.
> The shortest growing will be in the front.
> Rather than having a bare bed for a while till the spring bulbs emerge,
> plant some alyssum and lobelia seedlings. They will make a nice ground
> cover over the winter and a lovely back drop for your flowering bulbs.
> Don't forget to protect tender plants from frost. Spray with Vaporgard and
> if there happens to be two or more frosts in a row, night after night then
> cover plants with frost cloth or sack/newspaper)
> Winter time plants hate wet feet but they may still need an occasional
> drink during periods of no rain.
> Container plants not in the open will occasionally need a drink also; best
> to wait till they start to droop from lack of moisture then give them a
> small drink.
> Plants like citrus trees in open ground that detest wet feet should be
> sprayed with Perfection to prevent root rots in winter.
>
>
> Garden Gloves of Geraldine Stock the following items mentioned in this
> article
>
> Thatch Busta
>
> Mycorrcin
>
> Rok Solid
>
> Vaporgard or Spray on Frost Cloth
>
> Perkfection.
>
>
>
> Email graham at garden-gloves.co.nz for an order form
>
>
>
>
> Problems ring me at 0800 466464 (Palmerston North 3570606)
>
>
>
>
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