Fall is probably my favorite season. The leaves are beautiful and the air feels alive. It’s a time to reflect on gardening and life and plan for the future.
As the gardens wind down and I start my fall clean up projects I have more of a chance to notice the land. The vegetation is dying back and the colors becoming more muted as nature prepares to rest until Spring.
This morning I took my cattle dog TAZ for a long walk along the creek. The sun was just peeking over the hill and reflecting into the water. Reds, oranges and yellow colors danced on the creeks’ surface. The leaves cast their reflections too with many slowly falling into the water, a reminder that Winter is rapidly heading our way.
I have added to my compost bin in the last week. Leaves from both the lower yard and upper yard gave me a great boost to the pile. I mixed the leaves with grass clippings. I mowed as many of the leaves as I could, it helps them to break down faster.
I make sure I have my yard mowed as short as possible before it starts to snow. I have noticed that if its mowed short I don’t have to mow as early in the spring plus I don’t have a snow mold problem. Snow mold makes the grass for a lack of a better word, slimy looking.
I mix the grass clippings with the leaves and layer sawdust between them and add another grass/leaf layer and more sawdust. I add a small amount of fertilizer. When I am done with the layers I make holes in the compost pile and add garden vegetables, fruit leftovers, and coffee grounds. By putting holes in the compost pile you add items that will break down and help the rest of the pile to continue to break down into usable compost. By spring my pile will be ready to use in the garden.
The way I set up my compost pile I don’t have to turn it. I just don’t have time for one more project.
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