It’s a fact that nutrient-rich and soil-building organic matter, or “OM”, breaks down quickly in our hot-summer climate. In nature, organic matter that falls on the ground decomposes and becomes part of a healthy soil cycle. In residential areas, we tend to scoop up fallen organic matter and put it in our Green Waste bin, breaking the natural cycle and leaving our garden beds depleted. If you have areas where you can “leave your leaves”… give it a try!
If “leaving your leaves” would essentially smother your garden, then by all means scoop it up and either compost those leaves or add bagged compost or planting mix to add organic matter to your soil. If you grew a summer garden, or haven’t added compost in the last 6 months or so, now is the perfect time to apply a couple inches of compost as a top-dressing to your veggie and flower beds.
It’s also a great time to apply gentle fall fertilizers that are lower in nitrogen. Nitrogen encourages green growth, so a high-nitrogen fertilizer can cause a flush of new growth that is vulnerable to frosts and freezes. Most organic fertilizers have lower nitrogen percentages than do synthetic fertilizers, so they make great fall fertilizers!
And it’s always a good time to start composting! From a small worm bin in your kitchen to a 3 cu ft self-contained bin in your backyard, we’ve got everything you need to get started. Except the leaves. We’ll leave that up to you.
