Leaf cleaning

Cleaning the leaves in the garden is an additional burden to the mandatory autumn work. Therefore, many summer residents are wondering how justified this procedure is, and whether it is possible to do without it.

Pros and cons of harvesting leaves

To decide whether to remove the leaves in the garden, you need to consider all the pros and cons of this procedure.

Benefits of autumn cleaning:

• prevents the spread of fungi, mold and pests;
• gives the site a well-groomed appearance;
• under adverse environmental conditions, heavy metals and other harmful elements accumulate in the foliage.

When deciding whether to remove fallen leaves, the following nuances are taken into account:

• after leaf fall, natural fertilizer is formed;
• fallen leaves attract earthworms, which improve soil composition;
• The foliage serves as an additional protection for plants from frost.

Therefore, it is recommended to still remove the foliage and, if necessary, use its beneficial properties. In the summer cottage, cleaning the leaves is a preventive measure. The exception is forest areas where fallen leaves are part of the ecosystem.

Mandatory cleaning of leaves

In some cases, harvesting autumn leaves is a must. Timely cleaning of the garden is the prevention of many diseases. If there are already signs of the disease, then cleaning the leaves will help to avoid its further spread. Leaves must be removed from the lawn.

Orchard cleaning

Carrion is harvested under fruit trees in autumn. Usually, fruits affected by diseases and pests are the first to fall.

Garden trees attract sawfly, codling moth, leafworm, rowan moth. The cause of the appearance of carrion is also fungal diseases.

After harvesting, the carrion is taken out of the site to avoid further spread of diseases and pests.

Fungal diseases

If during the season the trees were affected by diseases of fungal origin, then only a positive answer is given to the question of whether it is necessary to remove the leaves.

The most common garden diseases are scab, powdery mildew, spotting and coccomycosis. These diseases are defined by a number of signs:

• You can identify the spread of scab by the presence of brown spots on the fruits and leaves.
• Powdery mildew causes a white coating on the leaves, which gradually turn brown. As a result, the foliage turns yellow, dries up and falls off.

  

• Spotting leads to the appearance of brown spots on the leaves with a dark border. Gradually, the tissue of the leaf plate dies off, which leads to the appearance of through holes.
• With coccomycosis, small red-brown dots appear on the leaves, which eventually merge into one large spot. At the end of summer, the foliage turns yellow, curls and falls off.

If there are signs of disease, the leaves are collected and taken out of the garden. It is not recommended to use them in compost as the fungus remains viable for several years.

Lawn care

Leaves must be removed from the lawn. Under such a dense layer, lawn grass rots and dies. In the spring, numerous bald spots are found on the lawn.

If it snows, then it is better to wait until it melts. If you perform cleaning on a frost-bitten lawn, then the greens become more brittle and can be trampled.

Leaf harvesting methods

Special tools help to facilitate work in the garden in the fall. The choice of device depends on the type of area to be processed, as well as on its size.

Regular rake

Traditionally, a rake, consisting of a metal rail and teeth, helps to remove dry foliage. Such a tool helps to break up clods of earth and level the surface of the soil.

It is most convenient to use a rail up to 20 cm wide for cleaning the garden. Narrow rakes allow you to get rid of natural debris from the most inaccessible areas.

Pitchfork

Another tool, without which dacha work is indispensable, is a pitchfork. If there is no rake, then you can use forks for cleaning. Most often they are used to remove large debris.

fan rake

Fan-type rakes are designed exclusively for ridding the garden of leaves. Such a tool has metal or plastic rods bent at the ends at an angle of 90 degrees.

The metal tool is more reliable. When working with uneven surfaces, it is better to choose a plastic version that has a springy effect.

Ventilators

For cleaning the garden, special devices have been created, which are called blowers. They are able to put the area in order in a short time.

With a blower, you can do the following:

• collect leaves in a pile to fill the compost pit;
• remove debris like a conventional vacuum cleaner;
• shred leaves, branches and grass.

Blowers operate on a gasoline or electric engine. How to choose the right device depends on the size of the site. The petrol blower has high power and allows you to clean large areas. The device is noisy and vibrates heavily.

An electric blower has less power and is used for cleaning relatively small areas. The device works silently and differs in the low level of vibrations.

Use of fallen leaves

If you removed the foliage, then the question arises how to use it in the future. If it is not damaged by diseases or insects, then it is used to enrich the soil.

However, it should be remembered that the foliage is slowly processed into fertilizer. Therefore, it is recommended to grind it first. Cleaning is done in dry weather.

Foliage can be used in the following areas:

• Creation of humus. To do this, fallen leaves are collected in the fall and rammed into tight bags. The contents are filled with water, and the bags themselves are pierced in several places and buried in the ground. The resulting fertilizer can be applied from next spring.
• Mulching. The creation of a mulching layer helps to avoid freezing of the soil in winter. Fallen leaves fall asleep beds with winter crops, roses, chrysanthemums and other perennials.
• Filling high beds. Fallen leaves can be used to create beds or fill boxes where flowers are grown. The leaves are mixed with compost and plant residues. In the spring, the beds are covered with soil.
• Site decoration. Fallen leaves decorate paths in the garden, bouquets and other decorative elements are made from it.

Conclusion

Cleaning up fallen leaves will help keep the area in good condition. Be sure to eliminate carrion and leaves affected by diseases or pests. The collected material can be used as fertilizer or to create beds. To simplify the cleaning process helps to use garden tools or special equipment.