“All gardeners know better than other gardeners” - Ancient Proverb
Every fall, folks often complain about the seasons changing and, as a result, having to rake and dispose of leaves. So much so, that I have witnessed neighbors bribing other neighbors with Tree House IPAs to simply agree to let them dump a tarp full of leaves on adjacent conservation land. Sadly, I have also watched friends use up a full Saturday and Sunday disposing of leaves with multiple trips to the Transfer Station (dump), and have heard horror stories of folks resorting to burning them in massive piles, utilizing gasoline to dispose of them quickly (yikes!).
Here is a much simpler solution to your leaf problem: keep them and use them for your garden!
My entire life, I have been taught by my father and grandfather to reuse leaves, wood chips, and small twigs and incorporate them into my garden beds. The leaves, wood chips, and twigs eventually break down into organic compost/mulch material that creates a compressed layer at the bottom of the garden bed which prevents weeds, as well as allows for moisture retention in even the hottest summer months, keeping your vegetables hydrated and healthy.
You can start incorporating leaves and other organic material (e.g., wood chips, small sticks, decaying vegetable plants, seaweed) into your beds immediately following the growing season (in New England the growing season is roughly May to September). Remember, the soil has been sapped of most of its nutritional value from spring and summer, and this process will start to reinvigorate the soil for the upcoming spring.
I recently found that this method has adopted a name, called “Back to Eden” gardening, since it essentially recreates nature’s intended growing environment. This style has become very popular with beginner gardeners, off-the-grid folks, and farmers. If you want to find out more, check out The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, and Raised Bed Gardening for Beginner’s, all great books on gardening.
Remember, a garden is not a one season project - constantly work on maintaining the soil for maximum return!
