Gardening: Let's create some free mulch!!!

There is a show on HGTV called "Gardening By The Yard." Basically, it's a guy who shows you projects that he works on throughout the year in his yard. He also has guests on to discuss easy things each of us can do to make our yards shine year-round.

One thing that I've always been a big fan of is composting. I have a compost bin on the side of my house that stores "green" waste. This includes things like leaves, kitchen scraps (vegetables, coffee grounds, etc.), ashes from my fireplace, soil from unused pots, wood chips, and even manure. Yes... manure. Ha!

I use my compost throughout the year. It goes into my garden, my flower beds, and even pots outside the house (because of the manure!). Giving back instead of throwing away is the mark of a green thumb! It's pretty easy to start one up... I'll probably write a topic about that in the near future.

Back to the show: One of his topics was how to create some mulch without a lot of work. The goal is to make it now so it'll be ready in the spring. Here's what he said...

Ever walked through a forest and seen how rich the soil is? Ever notice what is on the ground during the fall and winter? Leaves! Leaves are nature's "natural" mulch. When a tree drops its leaves, the leaves fall to the ground and begin to decompose. Most of this decomposition is due to the wetness of the leaves and the mold that breaks it down. The leaves will enrich the soil and provide nourishment for the trees, as well as to seal in the moisture in the ground.

He recommended an easy project that could help in the spring. First, take a garbage bag and gather up a bunch of leaves from your yard. Stuff that bag as full as you can make it. I actually gathered enough for 3 bags. Next, seal up the bags and punch a bunch of holes in each of the bags. This will allow oxygen and water to enter/exit. Finally, spray water on the bags. I stuck the hose in one of the holes, too, to put more water in each bag. When finished, just place the bags outside so they'll capture water when it rains. I placed mine on the side of my house near my greenhouse.

The goal is for the next 3 months, the leaves will break down and you can add the decayed remains to your flower beds/garden. One thing of note: If you live in a particular cold part of the country, he recommends covering up your trash bags with leaves or placing it under a bush so the freeze doesn't kill the microbes that are destroying the leaves.

Well, good luck and happy mulching!