Your
YARD AND GARDEN

Should you rake leaves, or leave them?

Fall is one of the most brilliant times in the state, with trees a multitude of hues from Cairo to Rockford. Reds, yellows, oranges, purples and all their shades, tints and tones will be in abundance from the lowly redbud to the majestic oak.

Of course, that presents us with another problem -what to do with the leaves?

David Robson

Growing up on a farm, we'd only rake leaves for one of two reasons. The first was to make a pile to jump and frolic in. There was nothing like chasing each other, or having the dog and cats chase you, through the leaf pile.

The only other time we raked was to get the leaves away from the foundation and shrubs.

For some reason, the leaves were gone by the next spring. I'm sure they ended up in a county or two to the east. They just disappeared. One October day they're there and the next March they're gone. Sure, some were caught in the fencerows back when people had fencerows.

Those who really wanted to, and they were few and far between and always the subject of behind-the-back whispering, would rake the leaves and burn them, carefully making sure they weren't near the corn stubble or the farm buildings.

Twenty years ago you could burn leaves in most cities and towns. With changing times and a more enlightened society (though some will argue this point), leaf burning was banned. The crisp fall air was filled only with crispness and not the cough-inducing haze that leaves produce.

Some communities still allow burning, and others do with some restrictions. Most farm folks, if they want to, can still burn.

Leaves are a valuable source of organic matter. Mother Nature doesn't rake her leaves, but allows them to fall beneath the trees, disintegrate and recycle the nutrients into the soil. The trees end up growing year after year.

When we rake up leaves in the yard, we sever the plant's ability to draw nutrients from the soil. In most cases, it doesn't hurt since we tend to fertilize the lawns to the point where the extra nutrients help the trees.

If we let the leaves remain on the yard, they could end up smothering the turfgrass, which, in turn, could lead to more weed problems next spring. It would be better to remove them for the sake of the lawn, if the lawn is key to your landscape.

On the other hand, mowing the leaves into small pieces will allow them to fall between the grass blades. They'll break down and recycle their nutrients and little smothering will occur. My mower allows me to go over the leaves a couple of times without bagging them. I can still see leaf pieces in the yard, but the grass is still there.

Just make sure the mower blade is sharp. Leaves will dull it quickly.

Now, if we had another hand, we'd have to say the leaves could contribute to a thatch problem if the soil was clay-heavy or we tended to mow improperly. The thatch wouldn't hurt the trees but end up weakening the turf.

Applying a late fall fertilizer to the turf helps. The nitrogen helps break down the leaves.

Of course, after mowing the leaves a couple of times, you could reattach the bagger and suck up the leaves. Since they've been chopped up, they take up less space. You end up with fewer bags. The bagged shreddings could also be added as mulch around tender perennials or roses when the ground starts to freeze.

The vegetable garden is another place to put the leaves. You can till them easily in the garden and help improve the soil for next spring's planting.

Finally, don't forget the compost pile. Add the leaves, a sufficient quantity of water to wet them, and a handful of fertilizer. Turn the leaves weekly to help them break down faster. Keep the pile moist but not damp. By next spring, the leaves should be ready for use.

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, University of Illinois Extension. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708.
Telephone: (217) 782-6515.
E-Mail: robsond@mail.aces.uiuc.edu

16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING OCTOBER 1999