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Harvesting leaves in the garden is an additional burden to the mandatory autumn work. Therefore, many summer residents are wondering how justified this procedure is, and whether it is possible to do without it.
Pros and cons of harvesting leaves
To decide whether or not to harvest the leaves in the garden, you need to consider all the pros and cons of carrying out this procedure.
Benefits of autumn cleaning:
- prevents the spread of fungi, mold and pests;
- gives the site a well-groomed look;
- in unfavorable environmental conditions, heavy metals and other harmful elements accumulate in the foliage.
When deciding whether to remove fallen leaves, take into account the following nuances:
- after leaf fall, natural fertilizer is formed;
- fallen leaves attract earthworms, which improve the composition of the soil;
- foliage serves as additional protection of plants from frost.
Therefore, it is still recommended to remove the foliage and, if necessary, use its beneficial properties. At the summer cottage, harvesting leaves is a preventive measure. The exception is forest areas where fallen leaves are part of the ecosystem.
Mandatory leaf cleaning
In some cases, harvesting autumn leaves is a must. Timely cleaning of the garden is the prevention of many diseases. If there are already signs of the disease, then harvesting the leaves will help prevent further spread. Without fail, foliage is removed from the lawn.
Orchard cleaning
Carrion is harvested under fruit trees in autumn. Usually, the first to fall are the fruits affected by diseases and pests.
Garden trees attract sawflies, moths, leafworms, and mountain ash moths. Fungal diseases also become the cause of the appearance of carrion.
After harvesting, the carrion is taken out of the site to avoid the further spread of diseases and pests.
Fungal diseases
If during the season the trees were affected by diseases of fungal origin, then only a positive answer is given to the question of whether it is necessary to remove the leaves.
The most common garden diseases are scab, powdery mildew, spotting, and coccomycosis. These diseases are determined by a number of signs:
- It is possible to identify the spread of scab by the presence of brown spots on fruits and leaves.
- Powdery mildew causes a white coating on the leaves that gradually turns brown. As a result, the foliage turns yellow, dries up and falls off.
- Spotting leads to the appearance on the leaves of brown spots with a dark border. Gradually, the tissue of the leaf plate dies off, which leads to the appearance of through holes.
- With coccomycosis, small reddish-brown dots appear on the leaves, which eventually merge into one large spot. At the end of summer, the foliage turns yellow, curls and falls off.
If there are signs of disease, the leaves are harvested and taken outside the garden. It is not recommended to use them in compost as the fungus remains viable for several years.
Lawn care
It is imperative to remove leaves from the lawn. Under such a dense layer, the lawn grass grows out and dies. In spring, numerous bald spots are found on the lawn.
If it snows, it is better to wait until it melts.If you clean a frozen lawn, the greens become more brittle and can be trampled.
Leaves harvesting methods
Special tools help to facilitate gardening in autumn. The choice of device depends on the type of area to be processed, as well as on its size.
Conventional rake
Traditionally, removing dry foliage helps rakeconsisting of a metal rack and teeth. Such a tool helps break up clods of earth and level the surface of the soil.
It is most convenient to use a rail up to 20 cm wide for cleaning the garden. The narrow rake allows you to get rid of the most inaccessible areas from natural debris.
Pitchfork
Another tool that summer cottage work cannot do without is the pitchfork. If there is no rake, then a pitchfork can be used for cleaning. They are most often used to remove large debris.
Serrated rake
The fan-type rake is designed exclusively for ridding the garden of leaves. In such a tool there are metal or plastic rods bent at the ends at an angle of 90 degrees.
The metal tool is more reliable. When working with uneven surfaces, it is recommended to choose the plastic version with a springy effect.
Blowers
For cleaning the garden, special devices have been created, which are called blowers. They are able to put in order the territory of the site for a short time.
The blower can do the following:
- heap leaves to fill the compost pit;
- remove debris according to the principle of a conventional vacuum cleaner;
- chop foliage, twigs and grass.
The blowers are powered by a gasoline or electric engine. How to choose the right device depends on the size of the site. Petrol blower has a high power and allows you to clean large areas. However, the device is noisy and vibrates strongly.
The electric blower is less powerful and is used for cleaning relatively small areas. The device operates quietly and has a low vibration level.
Using fallen leaves
If you removed the foliage, then the question arises how to use it in the future. If it is not damaged by diseases or insects, then it is used to enrich the soil.
However, it should be remembered that foliage is slowly processed into fertilizer. Therefore, it is recommended to grind it beforehand. Cleaning is done in dry weather.
Foliage can be used in the following directions:
- Creation of humus. For this, fallen leaves are collected in the fall and tamped into dense bags. The contents are poured with water, and the bags themselves are pierced in several places and buried in the ground. The resulting fertilizer can be applied from next spring.
- Mulching. The creation of a mulch layer helps to avoid freezing of the soil in winter. Garden beds with winter crops, roses, chrysanthemums and other perennial plants are covered with fallen leaves.
- Filling high beds. Fallen leaves can be used to create flower beds or fill boxes where flowers are grown. The leaves are mixed with compost and plant residues. In the spring, the beds are covered with soil.
- Site decoration. Fallen leaves decorate the paths in the garden, bouquets and other decorative elements are made from it.
Conclusion
Cleaning up fallen leaves will help keep the site in good condition. Be sure to eliminate carrion and leaves affected by diseases or pests. The collected material can be used as fertilizer or to create beds. The use of garden tools or special equipment helps to simplify the cleaning process.
