Friday, November 1, 2024

Two days in a row, mid-70s, mostly sunny. We got in a 12 mile gravel bike ride before noon. Before the wind picked up.

There is a always a first big wind that shakes loose most of the remaining oak and beech leaves from the canopy trees. We have a lot of oaks and beech in this area. Today was the first big wind. Lots of leaves blew off the trees.

Almost everyone around here spent hours leaf-blowing or raking or mowing leaves this week. We did our share of leaf-raking. Today those efforts were dashed by a new carpet of leaves scattered across lawns, roads, and driveways. As happens every year.

Leaves are essential. Whether on the tree or on the ground. I just read a statistic: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 7.2% of the nation’s solid waste is yard debris or about 10.5 million tons per year! That is stunning since leaves carried off to a landfill is expensive, unnecessary, and wasteful.

Leave the leaves! We keep all of our leaves…we rake some into piles and carry them on a tarp to a compost pile. Some are mulched and added to a compost bin or added to gardens for winter cover. Many beneficial insects overwinter in leaves. I can’t imagine carting off their habitat to a landfill.

Rejoice as the leaves fall, returning nutrients to the land, and building new soil.