Composting 1 option for fall leaves
Those fallen leaves won't rake themselves, and the plight of the over-labored homeowner continues even after their plant matter litter is collected in a pile.
Leaf disposal options in Butler County range from scheduled roadside collection to a leaf-burning free-for-all.
But don't go thinking flames are the only solution: Master Gardener Mary Reefer sees the fallen leaves as gold for composts bins.
“Western Pennsylvania soil is notoriously clay rich,” Reefer said. “Composting makes a great amendment to that.”
When one sends a sample of their soil in for testing, the nutrients they're hoping to find are all found in leaf mold, Reefer explained. The mold is developed in the composting process.
To compost leaves, one ought to shred them first. The common gardener can do so by running over leaves a few times with a law mower, then collecting them with a rake. Whole leaves take significantly longer to break down.
A proper compost pile needs a small amount of nitrogen — green material, like grass trimmings and vegetable waste — and a lot of carbon — browner materials. Dry leaves can supply that carbon in spades.
Read more in the Eagle's Fall Home Improvement section in Tuesday's newspaper.
