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WHITY FREEPRME* WEDD4ESbAY, SEPTPLEE 26' 1990, PAGE- 19, What to 'do wiqth ail8 those leave s The glorioug colors of autumnn aves arterenoyed by all. Homeowners, howevor, are flot always so enthusiastic about leaves once they have failen and cover ail parts of the garden, driveway and paths. What to do? While failen beaves, may provide a good mulch on flower beds, it is important to remove them from lawn areas-whero they encourage the-presence of nuce and other rodents.which can do extensive.<damnage te turf. A mat of wet leaves can also aid the growth of grass-illing fungi. If the property is large, or even flot so large, but dominated by one or several large shade ê trees, there wiil be great numbers of leaves. For many homeowners, the gathering of the beaves, while it mayseem a chore, is flot noarlyas large a concern as the actual disposai of them. Ma!ny municipalities, where landfiil site availability is becoming a problem, are no longer picing up leaves,.gr'ass dlippinge, and other garden trash as part of the normal weekly service. A practical alternative is for homeowners te compost their own leaves in a remote or ont-cf- the-way corner of their property. Whilo there are several commercial composting units available, none, of these is really suitable for composting the great.quantities of leaves with which homeowners muet deal each autumn. The answer is a special composting area for leaves. Choose a corner of the gardon out of sight, possibly heavily shaded. The composting can be dono in tronches dug into the soil, but the best method is te construct a simple bin. One method that is simple je to use three standard wood pailets used for shipping many goods, and often available for the taldng from industrial parks in cities. Nail the three pailets together te form a 'V'" shape, set on the, ground with one open side. For fastest composting, before putting the leaves in the bin, pile them in thick layers on the driveway, and run the rotary lawn mowor (set at its lowest setting) over thoin several tumes in ail directions. There are also small shredders available made especially for shredding leaves. Once theleaves have been choppod up with the rotary mower, it's time te add them in layers te the compost bin. "ae each layer about 15 - 20 cm (6 - 8 inches). On tep of each layer place a 3 cm (1 inch) layer of garden soil, and some animal manure, or handful of high nitrogon (net slow robeas.) fertilizer. Nitrogon is the firet number in the formula on fertilizer bags, and is the ingredient on which the bacteria and other decomposition organisme feed. Continue te pilethe beaves te at least a height of one metre or even higher, being sure te alternate with the soil and manure or nitrogen fertilizer. The pile wiil work bout if itis moist; usuaily the autumn rains provide sufficient' moistùré-ýIf itbetomoës dryi- **hase soakng e'inodà. If the pile is not frizon a month after the leavei have been, stacked, it 's'ould be turned in order te, get air to the centre. The turning can ho a chore, E an alternative'is te instal plastic piping that is diied wifth holes it's ontire length up through the centre of the pile. Next spring, examine your -pile, and turn it again. Depending on: 1) the type of beaves (oak ie the élowest te compost), 2) the amount cf roduction by shredder or lawn mower, and 3) the efficiency of the pile, particularly due te the:,effoct ohii from turning; your'leaves,may b. suitable for use as gardon compost as soon as the following autumn,,.or it; may take, on. more year. Regardlesa of how long, you'il have on. of nature's finest soil conditioners and organié matter te add te your gardon at literally ne co st- Bulbs.,help to brighten those, dreary winter dlayw The chafngng aesand frsty night air ignal the, enset of autun. And with'witer waiting in the wings, new is the time to plan ways te help brighten'those gra& wintor days. en of the best ways te, fool old man winter is by< forcing bulbs. January, February and. March can become as, colorful as- any spring day, but now is the time te start. Most varieties of hardy bulbe can b. forcd, such jas hyacinthe, daffodils tulips and crocuses. To bo sure, check with a garden centre. Once- you. make- your bulb selection, plan the number of containers you wil need. For example, hyacinths look best when grown on. te, a four-inch pntr, hereas tulps, daffodls and couslook betplanted several te a container. * 'I - - .4., ~ A. .4 £4 ,.,A E~II~ When forcing bulbe, the shorter the planter the botter. Bulb roota grow bost ini shallow containers. A six-inch planter can handle six te, eight tulip bulbs or four large daffodils. Crocuses grow best ;n a four- or five-inch container. In Octobor,- using packaged sotngaiýf511 the containers Swith soil. Place the bulbe (=poite end up) in the soil se the tips wiil be just below- the top level once yen complote fiffing. Pût the remaining scal on tep cf and around the bulbs, and water thorughly. Thon store the containers in a cool, dark place such as a garage, basement or cool room for a month te six months. * In early December, Wes time for cold storage. The containers should be placed se as to eep tho bulbs col&, but net te sllow them te freeze.,A cardboard box fiiled with straw and newspapers, and plaoed alongide your house, is a convenient method. Or they cen bo kept covered in an unheated garage Finally, in late Januaiy or early February,- the containers cen be brought indoors and graduaily introduced te warmer temperatures. Once leaves begin te appear, gradually move the planta te a warnier spot and inte brighter sunlight. .And keep the soil moist at ail finies. When the bulbe bloomn, old man winter may etiil b. around, but by folowing these tips, your home wiIl ahready bocklike epring. 4 3 P i t . -éat Autumn is ideal _forPlanting. By Canadian Gardon Council It seeme Canadians in general regard spring as flho prime season or planting gaLron. Wbibo iifs true that the weather in spring je often excellent for transplanting trees, overgreens, shrubs, hedges, rose and vines, there are rnany years when the weather we experience in the spring je anything but spring-ike! Many years, it's more like summer!. The Canadien Garden Council points out, on the other hand, that autunin weather is usually more predictable, and for incet tpes cf plants, autumn is a botter time for. plantng than is, spring. Since the expansion cf containorized trees, shrubse,, evergreene and many other types cf nursery stock, it has been possible te plant an entire gardon at virtually any time in the year frein the turne frst leaves the, ground in the earby sre gutl ad.rs in the autumn. There is, however, on. distinct advantage that antumn planting has. over suznmer planting. .For plants such as hedges, certain shade trees> and many decidueus shrubs, autumnn plrnting means b.ing able te obtain bare-root plants froni the nursery or gardon centre. These are aiways priced lower than containerized or .baled-and-ýburlaped plants cf the saine variety sold during the summer. It je simply a case cf boss labor involvement equating te a lower price. And in the autunin, the nurseries and gardon centres which offer bare-root plants have fresh-dug materials that have been in full robust growth for al cf the. summer. t 4I 44 j, 4f <44.4 4~4 445 4 f s * 44 f Il E The optimum time for plantin hedges, and shado trees such as maples, ash locust-and a host cf othere, is immediately af' the firet hard' frost that ils the beaves on th plants. Since thero is no water boss through the leaves (as there can be in the spring when the beaves. begin te grew aoon after the planta are transplante«) the trees, hedge 'plants and shrubs are able te make the needed root growth for a head start the foilowing spring.. 1The Candian, Gardon Council aise, reminds. gardoners that thie soul is at its warmest in the autumn, and thus the newly acquired plants are able te, establish a good feedingroot system before rosi winter conditions set in. In spring, the opposite is the -case, and it is ofton several weeks before the soil warms up sufficiently te ailow the now plants te, put eut a vigorous new feeding root system. Horticulturists generaliy. emphasize the importance cf autumn pIanting, and- its advantages - particularly the warmer soil and abilhlty cf the new plants te devebop- new roots without a.ny boss cf moisture -from newly opening. foliage as is the case in the spring. There are stilI other advantages te, autun planting. If there is a shortage cf a particular type of tree or shrub, obviously once the available plants are sold, they are gene. It may b. that. an additional supply can b. obtained from another part cf the 'countr~y, or from another country, but that is piot always à sure thing. The shortage can sometimes b. industry-wide. SEE PAGE 21 c .474' lA ' êfff .' 44 4