Put fall leaves to work

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You know it’s fall when a canopy of golden leaves glows in the fields and roadsides, turning the countryside and neighborhoods into an autumn color fest. But the colors that are beautiful on the trees become a chore when they hit the ground. 

If you let leaves lay where they fall, they will smother grassy lawns, form a decaying gunk on sidewalks and driveways, clog storm drains and cause flooding, and blow onto neighbors’ properties. There are many options to manage fallen leaves, from making use of them in the garden to disposing of them. They can even be material for some seasonal craft projects. 

Here are a few ideas for managing your fallen leaves. 

Use them in place 

The less you have to move the leaves, the easier the job will be. There are several ways that leaves can enrich your garden right on site.  

Leaves add organic matter to the lawn. Mowing back and forth over the leaves a few times with a mulching mower will chop them into a fine material that will sift through the grass to enrich the soil. This is best for a light covering of leaves, as a heavy layer will smother the grass.  

If you have too many leaves to let them be, put them to work around the garden. Chopping leaves with the mulching mower first allows moisture to filter through, and speeds the breakdown of the organic material. 

Use leaves as a protective mulch. Mound leaves over planting beds to cover tender perennials or root crops stored in the ground. 

Or, use them as a weed barrier. Leaves make an excellent mulch for vegetable crops, berries and shrubs. They suppress weeds and help retain soil moisture, and because they don’t contain weed seeds they won’t encourage the spread of new weeds. 

Leaves are great soil for next year. According to Peter DeBois, Senior Environmental Outreach Specialist at Clark County, there are two options for composting your leaves.  

For a quick breakdown, active composting is the way to go. Mixing carbon-rich leaves with nitrogen-rich grass clippings creates the perfect blend of nutrition for the garden. Think about layering them in a one-to-one ratio, and toss in vegetable trimmings from your kitchen too. Create a vessel for your pile with four pallets strapped together, or wire mesh curved into a tubular shape, and turn the contents once or twice a week. You’ll have ready-to-use compost in 8 to 12 weeks. 

Slower to make but a gold mine for the garden is leaf mold. Fill plastic garbage bags with chopped or whole leaves and let them sit for a year or two, where fungi will take over. When you open the bags the leaves will have disintegrated into a dark, sweet-smelling soil conditioner full of minerals.  

Clark County’s Master Composters offers workshops and one-on-one consulting to help people get started composting in their own garden. Visit clark

countycomposts.org for more information. 

Fallen leaves provide shelter for overwintering beneficial insects. The scientific name for this shelter is refugium, an area in which a population of organisms can survive through a period of unfavorable conditions. To create a refugium, make an envelope of chicken wire, fill it with fallen leaves and sticks, and place it in a sheltered location. 



And don’t forget to enjoy an autumn playground. What kid doesn’t love to leap into a giant pile of leaves? Before moving on to dispose of leaves, create fall memories for the kids with a no-holds-barred round of play in the leaf pile, followed by a steaming cup of cocoa. 

Collect and dispose of them

Raking fallen leaves is a time-honored, zero emissions autumn workout, and it will get you in shape for winter snow shoveling, but there are also easier ways to get the job done. 

You can chop and collect leaves in one pass with a bagging lawnmower. You’ll have to empty the bag frequently, but it will save a lot of raking. This is also a good first step to any of the on-site plans mentioned above. 

There are several options for leaf disposal available in Clark County. Households with yard debris disposal service can place leaves at the curb in a yard debris container, in 32 gallon cans, or in double-walled kraft bags available in stores with a garden department. For large amounts, drop box disposal is also available. 

Clark County and the city of Vancouver are providing coupons that allow Clark County residents to drop off up to 5 cubic yards of leaves at no charge through December 31. Free disposal is for leaves only; regular disposal fees apply if the leaves are mixed with yard debris. The coupons can be used at four locations around the county. 

For a list of drop off sites and a leaf disposal coupon, visit online atclark.wa.gov/public-works/leaf-disposal. 

Get crafty

Make a scarecrow by stuffing leaves into old clothes. Set your new friend on the front porch to greet your neighbors. 

Preserve leaves in glycerin for autumn décor which will last indefinitely. Submerge the leaves completely in a mixture of one part glycerin to two parts water in a flat pan, and flatten them with another pan. Allow the leaves to soak for three to four days, or until they feel supple. Pat them dry with a paper towel, and use in long-lasting floral arrangements or crafts. 

You can also preserve leaves by coating them front and back in decoupage solution, drying them in the microwave and then sealing them with craft spray, or drying them between the pages of a heavy book. 

Celebrate the season with leaf coasters for your cup of hot cocoa. Using Mod Podge, available at any craft department, adhere leaves to inexpensive 4 inch ceramic tiles. Attach felt furniture pads to the bottom of the tiles for a no-scratch surface. 

Use the rest of your Mod Podge to cover the sides of a canning jar with colorful leaves, tie a ribbon of raffia around the top, and light a candle or place battery-powered Christmas lights inside for a glowing tribute to the season.