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Son John came over to till the other side of the garden late yesterday afternoon. I told him we needed to chop up some of the remaining bagged leaves so we dumped them out into the garden cart and sucked them up with the leaf vacuum.
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We began spreading the resulting shreds over the east garden.
Then he tilled them all in. It was getting really dark, shortly after 4:00 PM.
The 30-some-year-old rototiller is on its last legs. If I'm going to need it next year, to dig in all the leaves I get from the neighbor, I'm going to have to spring for a new engine for it. It's been stored, unused, for over twenty years. I'd actually prefer to form the planting beds next spring and dig in composted leaves, or double dig each bed, adding shredded leaves as I go or, best of all, use the shreds as mulch and let them decompose in place.
I think there are only two bags of unshredded leaves left. I'll run those through the vacuum today, and add them to the already chopped up leaves I have in bags, bin and barrel. They'll have time to partially decompose and be used as mulch in the 2013 garden beds.
I KNEW I remembered you putting leaves on your beds. The man was blowing out the yard today and I snaked some leaves and strew them across my beds........
ReplyDeleteNow what?
;)
Now throw some poo over the top of the leaves to hold them down. In the spring you can just scratch it all into the beds. Since I have no pickup now, I have no poo to toss onto my leaves. That's why we got the tiller out and dug them in.
DeleteWhat a good son you have....working until dark! I didn't do a thing with leaves this year. All of our leaves blew away from the hurricane :)
ReplyDeleteRobin, this is the first year since I can't remember when that I've been home when the leaves fell! Now she knows I can use a few bags, so I shouldn't be without ever again.
DeleteLucky you to have a son come over to do that for you. I think I would vote for that instead of you double digging the beds! Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, he has to leave something for ME to do! I like to play in the dirt ;-)
DeleteDear Annie,
ReplyDeleteI'm a graphic designer in London. We would like to purchase one of your photographs for a seed packet. Is this possible?
Thanks!
Emily
I need to find some poo!
ReplyDeleteMe too, David. I don't know if the garden centers even have bagged poo this time of the year. The composted poo from the nursery has gone up so much in price recently, I found the cost to be comparable to bagged steer manure. I'm tempted, as I could handle the bags easier than a pickup load.
DeleteI never thought of putting shredded leaves in my garden in the fall and then tilling them in so they would decompose over the winter. I've got a good chipper/shredder and tiller, too. I think I'll do that next year! I hope you're doing good these days, Granny....
ReplyDeleteYes, Greg, it's an easy way to get rid of all of those leaves while doing wonders for your garden soil. I'm doing just great, thank you for asking! Our winter weather has been so mild, I feel like I'm on vacation in Hawaii, LOL! OK, not quite THAT warm, but making me wish I'd planted some winter lettuce and spinach.
DeleteI'm a wimp. Rototillers scare me. I use all hand tools in the garden. It does make sure I get my exercise though.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I'm glad I'm not a wimp about using power tools! I don't mind the tiller at all, I just can't get it started. When it was starting with one pull I could do it, but it's really on its last legs, so John is the only one who can get it going. I think I'll just get myself a small electric tiller for digging leaves into smaller individual beds. The older I get, the more painful it is for me to hand dig everything :-(
DeleteSo, did you sell your photo to the woman in London? Found that interesting. You have such a good son, Granny, but I know you take care of him, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know yet, Langela. I did give her permission, which she will be presenting to her client.
DeleteWe covered a large portion of our garden with leaves this year, but we didn't till them in. I hope they break down well enough to be worked in easily next spring. Glad to see that young man of yours taking care of his mom!
ReplyDeleteJody, we either have to till them in or completely cover them with composted manure, or they'd all just blow away. I do prefer the covering them with manure method, but I have no way to haul it this winter. I need a new pickup!
DeleteLast year, I covered/mulched my garden and my perennials/shrubs with shredded fallen leaves. It is quite remarkable how many insects and rodents overwintered in all that debris.
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm picking up every SHRED and composting it. (I have a leaf hog too!)
I'll put it back down in the spring-and NEVER allow them to sit undisturbed over winter ever again. :)
Barbee, I'm hoping, by tilling them in, we don't have that problem. I saw my very first garden mouse this fall, so now they know where I live!
DeleteYou will probably not have the same problems as I did here in TX.
DeleteOf course that is because you are a MUCH better gardener.
Me? I'm better at farming bugs than vegetables (or farming vegetables FOR the bugs?)
I am looking forward to reading all about your succeses next year!
Well you raised that boy well to still help momma on something so much. All the work will pay off in spades next spring. I'm getting a red worm com poster for my patin garden and can't wait for results.
ReplyDeletePatrick, that will really be good for your garden! I've threatened to get one of those under-the-kitchen-sink worm composters, but Mr. Granny would probably run away from home, LOL! I just have to trust that the night crawlers that live all over my back yard and garden will "do their thing" naturally!
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