 If you decide to let nature take its course, letting leaves lie
brings benefits and some problems. Many of the benefits are
associated with your labor, or lack of it. The major non-labor
benefit is that when leaves collect in flower beds and around
shrubs, they provide a mulch for those plants. Problems
generally develop where deep piles of leaves may smother grass
or harbor diseases, causing large dead areas to deal with next
spring. Of course if you are the only resident in a neighborhood
who doesn't rake leaves, you may be talked about at many social
functions this fall.Removing leaves is generally done by
raking or bagging with a mower attachment. This makes your lawn
look neat, prevents problems for lawns and gives you a workout
if you are manually raking. The main problems are the time,
labor and disposal of the leaves when they are piled.
Chopping leaves means reducing the size. Benefits include
less smothering, quicker breakdown and less labor. The main
drawback comes with deep piles that still should be removed
because of trouble in shredding and the resulting smothering of
grass.
One thing to consider is the type of leaves. There is a huge
difference in oak leaves and silver maple leaves. It's difficult
to have smothering problems with oak leaves, while silver maple
leaves may smother with a very thin layer. Many green leaves
were blown down with recent winds. These green leaves will tend
to smother more than the dry, rigid types will.
What do you do with the leaves you've accumulated? There are
several possibilities.
Many municipalities prohibit burning for the most part.
Besides the fire risk, the respiratory issues for affected
people can be life-threatening. Raking leaves into the street,
unless requested by the city for cleanup, usually results in
clogging storm sewers.
Options remaining include composting, using as a mulch,
tilling into garden and bed areas, and hauling to a municipal
landscape recycling center. There may even be some private
collection services that will take bagged leaves to a recycling
center.
Partial composting, and the subsequent use as mulch, is one of the best
solutions. Simply construct an enclosure at least 2 feet cubed, place leaves in
it, and cover the top with hardware cloth or wire laid on it and weighted down.
The resulting mulch may be used next spring on flower beds, gardens, around
trees and shrubs, or spread back on gardens or lawns. Before you use the mulch
around the house, read the note below.
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 One thing to consider is removing the leaves from around the foundation of the
house. The decaying leaves provide a hiding place or food sources for nuisance
pests such as ladybugs and millipedes. Removal from directly around the house
may reduce the number of these insects making their way into your home.
Pumpkin tips
If you are growing your own, make sure you watch your pumpkins
and squash as you harvest them. Here are some rules for selecting
pumpkins:
-
Choose a pumpkin
with a stem, but never carry it by the stem. Pumpkins without a
stem will not last long.
-
Select a pumpkin
with a flat bottom so it will stand upright.
-
Avoid pumpkins
with holes, cuts or soft spots. These areas will rot.
-
Light-colored
pumpkins are easier to carve because the skin is not as hard as
darker orange ones, but they will not keep as well.
-
Wash the pumpkin
with warm water and let it dry before carving. Use of a small
amount of dishwashing soap in the warm water may help extend the
life of the pumpkin.
-
To make the
pumpkin last longer, keep it in a cool place until ready to
carve. After carving, coat the cuts with petroleum jelly.
-
Carving should
only be done three days ahead of Halloween. After cutting, the
pumpkin will deteriorate rapidly.
-
The use of a
candle in the pumpkin will also make it deteriorate rapidly.
[By
JOHN FULTON,
University of Illinois Extension]
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