Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
There’s mixed views about whether or not you should clean up your flower beds in the fall and if you should dispose of all your leaves.
Because we had such a wet summer, we have had lots of powdery mildew and black and tar spots. And because of this, I am going to make a big effort to remove all the leaves from my garden this fall so the spores from these funguses and disease don’t winter over in the garden and come back next year.
Article content
I will raking some of my leaves and mulch others. For my flower beds, I will cut back my perennials and rake all the fallen leaves and send them away on green week.
I will mulch the leaves from the large sugar maple in the yard with my lawn mower. I tend to mulch my lawn at least once a week. I try to do this when the leaves are dry and not too thick.
Lots of folks believe it is healthier to leave the leaves on the ground and deal with them in the spring. On the years that I did that, I found my lawn suffered from snow mound and was very thin and unhealthy in the spring which caused more weeds to grow in my grass and it seem to take forever to get the lawn back in shape. I know we worry about pollinators and other insects having a place to winter, but we all know of properties where the leaves are left, so they will find places to go and spend the winter.
Don’t wait until all the leaves fall to do your clean up. It is much easier to do a little bit more often then all at once. Take advantage of the beautiful fall days we have left and put your garden to bed so it may reward you again in the spring.
Denise Hodgins is a professional gardening coach in London. Send your questions to coaching@diggendirtdesigns.com
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network
