Especially in autumn, the garden seems to sink into a sea of leaves. Pick it up or leave it? Rake or use the lawnmower? When the trees shed their leaves, many questions come to the gardener's mind. You will find the answers on this page.
Leaves in the garden are a thorn in the side of many gardeners
Pick it up or leave it?
You should be aware that there is a general obligation to clear the sidewalk in front of your property. Important facts about the legal regulations can be found on this page. However, since the regulations are not uniformly agreed nationwide, you should also contact your public order office for information if you are unsure how, where and when you have to sweep up the leaves.
However, it is up to you how exactly you keep order in your own garden. There are no laws here, but you should consider a few recommendations in your own interest. For example, you should always clear your lawn of fallen leaves. The carpet of leaves prevents the blades of grass from absorbing enough light and oxygen. The consequences are noticeable in the next spring when dried patches appear on the green area. You should also remove the leaves from ponds and rock gardens.
The situation is different in beds. If the foliage doesn't bother you visually, it's actually an advantage to leave the leaves lying around, because
- Leaves serve as a natural fertilizer
- Foliage resembles a layer of mulch
- Foliage protects your plants from frost
- Leaves serve as winter quarters for small animals.
tips
Use your lawn mower to collect leaves. This saves you a lot of time.
processing foliage
In order to use your leaves effectively, you should first compost them. Small microorganisms break down the leaves into organic material. To speed up this process, it helps to shred the foliage beforehand. However, you should know that some tree species, such as the walnut, rot very slowly.
Pay attention to what?
However, if the foliage begins to mold due to moisture, you can no longer use it. Therefore, store the leaves in a covered, sheltered place and check your compost regularly.