One of those traditional fall activities involves getting out the rake and taking some swipes at leaves in the yard. But, there’s more and more attention given to leaving some leaves on the lawn. Jamie Dockery is the extension agent for horticulture in Fayette County. His approach is to run the lawn mower over leaves consistently during this fall period.
“Probably a good layman’s test for this….is after you mow it..if you can’t see the grass through the leaves that you’re blowing out, that’s too much. Anything that blocks sunlight from the grass is too much,” said Dockery.
Dockery said the practice of using a mower to shred up leaves can amount to composting in place with some fertilization value. The county extension agent noted this technique doesn’t work if the pile of leaves is over six inches.
In addition to getting up leaves in the lawn, there are flower and vegetable gardens to tend to before the real chilly weather sets in. But Dockery said pulling up all those withered plants may not be the best move. He said they can provide a safe haven for some insects.
“For benefitting insects your best bet’s not doing a lot of garden cleanup at all. We’re all about what makes us think our lawns look nice and stuff, but in nature none of that happens. And a lot of solitary bees and stuff need hollow stems and dead stalks like that,” said Dockery.
Temperatures in central Kentucky are predicted to be unseasonably warm for the first part of the week.
* WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, fact-based journalism. Monthly sustaining donors are the top source of funding for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation
