Remove Leaves from Gardens in Early Spring

 

The fall season leaves are a natural mulch in the flower garden and a good way to enrich the lawn. However, the leaves must be raked in the early spring to remove the excess leaf matter from your gardens and lawn in the early spring. Or as soon as your days warm to an average of 40 degrees.

Last fall I left the leaves on my gardens and in late winter I removed a patch of the leaves I found that the leaves were beneficial to the earthworms and the soil was richer due to nutrients found in the leaves. The leaf matter also made my heavy soil lighter and the sandy soil retained moisture.

Know that it takes an average of six to twelve months for leaves to decompose. I was not waiting the full six months because I saw new growth under the leaves and did not want to block the daffodils that were coming up.

I am glad that I winterized my lawn and garden with a light layer of leaves as it was beneficial but you would not want to leave a thick pile of leaves on your garden or on your lawn.

Excess leaf matter will inhibit plant growth and it will attract mice snakes and other undesirable garden pests including borers that will eat your Irises. So it's best to remove any excess leaves from your gardens in the fall and only use a light layer of leaf mulch on your gardens.

Spring Gardening - Hosta Plants

After the spring rain and a few warm days, I noticed that my hosta plants were coming up. There are quite a few plants that have green leaves and seem to be growing fast. Since the plants have new growth I knew it was time to work in the garden.

Here is a photograph of my spring Hosta Garden.  It was taken after I completed my garden maintenance.

Spring Hosta Garden, with daffodils leaves, and mulch

Today I did a hand pulling of the weeds and grasses that were growing in the hosta garden. There were also lilies that had spread into this garden. I dug them up and transplanted them into another garden.  Since it is early spring the daffodils plants have green leaves.  I did not cut them back, they will die back naturally.

When the garden maintenance was completed I added some compost that was amended with topsoil and mixed well before adding it to the hosta garden. This compost and soil mixture is a good way to feed the plants naturally.

Where I reside we do get a lot of rain in the spring and this rain can cause soil erosion. I decided to add a two-inch layer of cypress mulch around the plants to prevent the compost from washing away. Garden plants do benefit from a mulch application because it helps to deter the growth of weeds, keeps the plant roots cooler in summer, and aids in retaining moisture.

Here is a photo of one of my Hosta gardens

Benefits of Mulch in the Garden

Learn how mulch benefits the health of your plants by retaining moisture and enriching the soil.  Mulch is an organic substance that is laid on top of the soil and around the plant tree or shrub. The mulch may be derived from leaves, pine needles hardwood chips, or bark. I have also used ground pine cones, corn cobs, and coconut husks. 

Added Cedar mulch here

Many people use grass clippings as it is a nutritious form of mulch.  The grass must be dried before it is applied to the garden and a thin layer will benefit your garden.  Heavy grass will prevent the water from getting to your plant's roots.  I use dried grass in my tomato garden.  It really is good for the soil.

Hosta Garden with mulch

Whenever I plant I always apply mulch directly after watering.  The best way to apply mulch is to layer it around the plant but not cover the stem region, leave that area mulch-free so the air and water can get to the plant.

Gardens Benefit from Mulch

Mulch is a protective layer that helps the soil to retain moisture.  It also will keep the roots of the plant cool and the mulch will deter weed growth.

When you apply two inches of mulch to your gardens then you will not have to water as often.

Another benefit of using mulch is that the natural substance will break down over time and the nutrients will enrich the soil.

Tips:

Mulch should not be heavy during the growing season as it will prevent the water from getting to the roots of the plants.  

Normally I will add one to two inches of mulch to my garden beds in June to keep my plants cooler in the summer and to help retain moisture.  

 In late fall when I am getting my gardens ready for winter I will apply up to three inches of mulch.  The winter application of mulch will protect the plants with roots that are close to the soil surface from being damaged from wind, ice, or snow.