Here we go again

There’s no stopping those leaves from falling. They got off to a false start this year when late summer was so dry, it forced trees under stress to shed leaves before there was any colour change. 

Now raking season is underway, or a leaf blower chorus is echoing across neighbourhoods. Got to get those leaves, every single one scooped up into paper bags for municipal collection. It’s okay if you miss a few on a lawn, even more if you run the mower over them. The chopped ones break down and will be gone, or ready for a second mowing in spring. Or they can be raked onto flowerbeds as a fall mulch, which is much better as shredding leaves harms any overwintering insects.

If overwhelmed by leaves, there’s another option. Instead of bagging them, make a huge pile, wet it well, and let them turn into free soil — eventually, same as happens in any rake free wood lot. Before becoming soil, they’ll first go through the soggy, useful mulch stage, then the leaf mold stage. Eventually, in that woodlot, come spring there’s little sign of the leaves, only spring flowers in soil enriched by the nutrients left behind. Leaves can work just as well piled on that new, raised bed as a winter mulch. In spring, simply rake them aside to allow for planting.

Leaf mold makes a lovely soil conditioner. It will be dark brown to black with an earthy aroma and a crumbly texture, not far from becoming compost, the final stage before actual soil. That mold is not the stuff that grows on bathroom tiles, but it refers to the way fungi, along with good bacteria, breaks down the leaves. 

But, but, what about diseased leaves, you say? Don’t worry about them. Most diseases like mildew and other fungal diseases are mainly plant specific. Since these are tree leaves, they’re not going to spread to tomato plants.  And as for spreading to other trees, it’s going to happen regardless.

An obvious one is tar spot that mainly affects Norway maples. It shows up as large black spots on the leaves. If it’s on your tree, there’s sure to be someone who will tell you to remove every single fallen leave from your property. Forget it, unless you can convince all your neighbours, and all their neighbours, and every neighbour all the way out to the east coast. The fungal spores are like an invisible cloud that floats on the wind seeking out your tree. Each spore, like Arnold, saying, “I’ll be back.”

Something else that returns are leaves in the form of compost that is available free from municipalities. Spring and fall, gardeners can’t get enough of it and if it runs out, you can always make your own. It’s so easy — simply pile those leaves, as I’ve been doing for years, a hundred bags or more every fall. There’s no sign of them in my garden but there is rich, dark soil.

Here I go again.