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To rake up leaves or not?

How does your garden grow?
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quodec
Posts: 708
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:40 pm

To rake up leaves or not?

#1

Post by quodec »

I’ve raked up leaves from the garden for years but am considering leaving them be this autumn! What’s your view?
KHD
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2022 9:13 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#2

Post by KHD »

quodec wrote: Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:10 pm I’ve raked up leaves from the garden for years but am considering leaving them be this autumn! What’s your view?
I'd leave them, great organic matter for the soil. The earthworms and blackbirds will love you.
Hairy-Joe
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:33 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#3

Post by Hairy-Joe »

For me, it depends on what they land on.

If it's concrete or stones, I sweep them up every few days. I don't want them rotting into the stones or on the path/yard.

If it's lawn, I run over them with the lawnmower on high to mulch them (fertilize the lawn). If I've piles under trees, hedges, etc I regularly turn over the piles until rotted to stop rats, mice, etc nesting in them.
marhay70
Posts: 1226
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2021 4:18 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#4

Post by marhay70 »

Rake them up, put them in a black plastic bag, add some water if they're dry, punch a few holes for drainage and stick them somewhere out of the way. In about a year you'll have the best soil additive nature can provide.
678904673
Posts: 833
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:32 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#5

Post by 678904673 »

It was on my to do list today. But looking at that weather, I think I'll give it a miss
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isha
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Posts: 4768
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 12:15 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#6

Post by isha »

About 70%of my acre is set to trees (by me). I brush away the leaves from my front door and path, and leave everything else as otherwise I'd be a slave to them. Sometimes I make patterns with them if I'm in the mood 🙂
IMG_20221029_091339_Easy-Resize.com.jpg
IMG_20221029_091339_Easy-Resize.com.jpg (234.99 KiB) Viewed 1796 times
Thinking out loud, and trying to be occasionally less wrong...
KHD
Posts: 807
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2022 9:13 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#7

Post by KHD »

That is amazing isha. Imagine someone coming across that on their walk through a forest.

I'm glad to see the consensus is that the humble leaf is a valuable addition to soil conditioning and fertility. I would use truck loads of leaf litter if I could get my hands on it. :mrgreen:
CelticRambler
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Posts: 2577
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:19 pm
Location: Central France

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#8

Post by CelticRambler »

Let fallen leaves lie
Eindhoven, in North Brabant, is encouraging its citizens to abandon blowers and rakes and to let fallen leaves in gardens or parks lie.

Raymond van de Sande, a manager at Ergon landscaping firm, said he sometimes had to explain the mission to the good folk of Eindhoven. “What is good about this is that it breaks with the tradition of gardening and the idea that everything has to look tidy,” he said.

He added that leaving leaves alone had many environmental benefits. “You let natural processes take their course, and you see that there are advantages not just in the areas of ecology and biodiversity but also with fewer weeds, and less need for water in the summer. When it rains, there is less runoff to the drains: it creates an entire process of improvements.”
BrianD3
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:40 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#9

Post by BrianD3 »

I have a few medium sized Maple trees loads of leaves and helicopter seeds which I didn't bother raking this time last year. Got lots of Bullfinches in the garden eating the seeds on the ground. I did rake up everything in the following Spring though.
Hairy-Joe
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:33 pm

Re: To rake up leaves or not?

#10

Post by Hairy-Joe »

Well, in Ballincollig this morning, they'll have to rake the ones that have fallen on the paths of Main St. They are feckin' slippy for pedestrians.....
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