Never dispose of fallen leaves on your country site! And that’s the reason..

2017-10-06 21:54

Never dispose of fallen leaves on your country site! And that’s the reason..
To remove or not to remove the leaf litter? No one knows the answer to this question better than nature itself.

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To remove or not to remove fallen leaves on your plot, everyone decides for himself, reports Rus.Media. But this decision was intuitive, and reasonable, you need to know all the “pros” and “cons”.

Not to clean?

To remove or not to remove the leaf litter? No one knows the answer to this question better than nature itself. In forests, leaves accumulate for centuries, creating a favorable environment for plants and animals and being a vital link in nutrient Cycling.

In fallen leaves as well breed earthworms, she is their food. Already by early summer, the worms destroy almost anything that attacks in the fall. In turn, they improve soil quality by providing organic matter, which is powerless without most fertilizers.

In the letter contains a large amount of nitrogen. For this indicator, it is superior to even the humus and sheep droppings. But phosphorus and potassium there is very little.

In spite of the paucity of the content of mineral substances, fallen leaves are very useful for plants because it improves soil structure, making it more friable, and therefore vozduhom. Soil air is necessary for respiration of bacteria, animals (including earthworms), as well as the root system of plants.

Dense hardwood layer is an excellent mulch, which prevent the germination of weeds (not all, but many), weathering of the topsoil, over-drying and overheating of soil. In winter, this mulch protects from frost.

But, despite all the positive aspects of the natural approach, the question remains ambiguous. The fact that the gardeners collect leaves in the forests with centuries-old ecosystem and the private farmlands where the plants live mainly cultural, and consequently, most of them whimsical.

Or to remove?

The problem is that in fallen leaves feel good not only earthworms, but other insects damage which for a garden plot is enormous. This caterpillars, and weevils, and moths. At this stage, most of them to get rid of only collecting and burning the leaves. Another question — if the garden is not suffering from parasites, we need such events?

No fires are necessary if the leaves are infected with powdery mildew, kokkomikoza or scab. Often the only way to stop the spread of the disease. If you make compost these leaves, the disease can come back even when using it through the years.

If the leaves fall on the lawn or flowerbed, it will have to collect. Forming a dense carpet of fallen leaves covers the plants access to light and air. Naturally, in such conditions, the grass dies, and this happens just a few days.

And if you remove, then where?

If the leaves still had to collect, you need to use a natural material for the maximum benefit of the site. This, of course, healthy leaves on healthy plants.

The first thing that comes to mind — a compost pit. But compost compost strife. Poor the contents of the main minerals in the leaves will make it more useful for the physical composition of the soil than chemical. So hope for him as a good fertilizer is not necessary. It is reasonable to compost leaves separately and used to facilitate soil.

Compositerule leaves cake, and their decomposition is very slow. To speed up the process, dropping the need to tightly pack in the bags and cover with water. Further, the bags are knotted, and pierce in several places. The resulting humus can be used for next spring.

If enclosed in plastic bags and leaves along with the green waste and periodically shake or stir them, get soil for seedlings and houseplants. It will also be enriched with mineral elements due to the decomposition of grass and leaves will give it the necessary lightness, moisture and vozduhonosnye.

Another option is the use of leaf — mulching. Removing litter from lawns, lay it on the ground for the digging. Also leaves you can mulch the paths between the beds so there not germinate the weeds. One drawback is in wet weather the leaves slippery.

Dry litter can be used to insulate the perennials. Wintered under a blanket so bulbous bloom earlier than usual. Like any other shelter, the leaves will need to remove the spring, the plants underneath not rotted.

For the early spring planting litter is laid in the prepared trench (future patch) to the brim. Earth from trenches remains along the ridge of the mound. On top of the leaves to put a layer of chopped herbs and other plant residues. If the autumn is dry, the trench is necessary to shed water.

In the spring of melted earthen embankment must be returned to the trench. By the time the leaves will fall. Next patch insulated covering materials, which are planted plants. Thus you can speed up the crop.

Fallen leaves are also used for filling high raised beds and boxes, pouring it under the ground.