Whether raking the leaves each fall is a time honored tradition or a much loathed chore, the fact of the matter is those leaves gotta go sometime. So, after the kids are done jumping in the piles, don’t just drag those leaves down to the end of the driveway with the rest of your trash. Save a little money and make your garden happy by chopping them up into mulch!
Mulching your garden will improve root growth, conserve soil moisture, protect soil erosion, and create an environment conducive to earthworms and other healthy soil organisms. Creating mulch is as simple as running over your raked leaves with a lawnmower. Simply add your mulch to your garden in a thick, 2-4 inch layer.
If you live in a climate that doesn’t provide for the falling of autumn foliage, you can make your own mulch out of grass clippings and organic food scraps. Start a slop bucket in your kitchen for discarded fruit and vegetable parts and grass clippings.
Regardless of where you live, make sure you don’t get invasive plant species like dandelions in the mix, or you could see weeds slowly invading your garden!
