Anyone into gardening here? | Page 36 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Anyone into gardening here?

Yup, it's a good size but not huge. I've spend a number of years now fine-tuning my tending to get maximum efficiency from minimum work. Tending a garden that size isn't bad if it's maintained well and consistently early in the season; get the weeds before they germinate and spread. Then through much of the mid to late summer it isn't near as much work. I think I'm only a basic gardener, a few others here like Shanekingsley are much more advanced and impressive.
 
One thing I do spend a bunch of time on is container plantings - I like tons of pots all over the place with interesting plants and combinations. This year I've had very little time to spend in the garden, because of work and home reno's and didn't do any pots at all. Still did an okay amount of low maintenance veggies and this means kales and swiss chards are going to be producing for another month or two.

I want to turn the boulevard into a mosaic of all drought tolerant plants that are super low maintenance. Mississauga recently started allowing homeowners to move way from grass boulevards as long the height of any plantings are still low growing. There are some really nice native and non-native groundcovers that could work well for this.
 
I ordered many different native wildflower seeds from https://www.wildflowerfarm.com. Hopefully I'll have some good results in the spring.
I collect seeds from my garden. Each year I collect about 25 or so varieties of various natives, most of which are local to High Park. Message me if you want any for free.
 
Any tips for storing canna and dahlia bulbs? The past few years whatever I’ve tried I tend to lose a lot to rot. The best success I’ve had is to cut down the plants in containers and store the containers inside but that takes up a lot of room. I’ve tried putting the bulbs in dried peat in a Rubbermaid box in an unheated garage but I’m not sure if the bulbs are dry enough when I do that and perhaps the garage is too cold?
 
Any tips for storing canna and dahlia bulbs? The past few years whatever I’ve tried I tend to lose a lot to rot. The best success I’ve had is to cut down the plants in containers and store the containers inside but that takes up a lot of room. I’ve tried putting the bulbs in dried peat in a Rubbermaid box in an unheated garage but I’m not sure if the bulbs are dry enough when I do that and perhaps the garage is too cold?
Both can be just stored in the cold room of a basement. remove the bulbs from their soil, clean them, let them air dry out a bit, store them in either peat or even potting mix that is totally dry. I've stored canna's in wood shavings in perforated clear bags so I can easily see into the bags to get a visual check on the moisture.

any easy simple way to compost a pile of leaves? They won't fit in the household composter.
run your lawnmower over them a few times while they are on your lawn and spread them out so they aren't in a thick layer. Ideally no more than 1/2" thick. the pulverized leaf matter will be a beautiful nutrient amendment for your lawn. If you have any excess, rake that up and just use that as a mulch on your garden for any exposed soil areas.
 
Any tips for storing canna and dahlia bulbs? The past few years whatever I’ve tried I tend to lose a lot to rot. The best success I’ve had is to cut down the plants in containers and store the containers inside but that takes up a lot of room. I’ve tried putting the bulbs in dried peat in a Rubbermaid box in an unheated garage but I’m not sure if the bulbs are dry enough when I do that and perhaps the garage is too cold?
I save mine every year -- it's easy.

- dig them up and trim then back to the bare bulb
- soak them in water for 10 minutes to soften soil, then clean off remaining soil
- let them dry in to open for about a week
- dunk each bulb in a solution of 10l water to .25l regular bleach then let them dry for a few hours
- pack a few bulbs into paper lunchbags, fill the bags with shavings - I buy a brick of hamster shavings from Walmart -- lasts a couple of seasons.
- store the bags in a cardboard box with a few vent holes. they will rot in a sealed plastic tote

Occasionally I'll get rot, it doesn't spread between the paper bags.

Both Canna and Dhalias are quick and easy to grow from seed -- there isn't a big advantage in storing bulbs.
 
run your lawnmower over them a few times while they are on your lawn and spread them out so they aren't in a thick layer. Ideally no more than 1/2" thick. the pulverized leaf matter will be a beautiful nutrient amendment for your lawn. If you have any excess, rake that up and just use that as a mulch on your garden for any exposed soil areas.
I get a huge amount of leaves each year. I mulch them with my mower then cover my gardens with the mulch. I prefer removing leaf litter from lawns - the nutrient add doesn't offset the impact of thatching and winterkill. Lawngrasses require lots of aeration above and below ground all year, a good rake and dethatching in the fall will cut down on winterkill, thatch, weeds and pests -- your lawn will thank you next spring.
 
I prefer removing leaf litter from lawns - the nutrient add doesn't offset the impact of thatching and winterkill. Lawngrasses require lots of aeration above and below ground all year, a good rake and dethatching in the fall will cut down on winterkill, thatch, weeds and pests -- your lawn will thank you next spring.
How does pulverized leaf matter less than 1/2 inch contribute to thatch production or winterkill?
 
How does pulverized leaf matter less than 1/2 inch contribute to thatch production or winterkill?
Leaves, whether mulched or not, create a soggy mat when left in a lawn, it behaves like and contributes to lawn thatching. Thatching increases snow molding (white fuzz) and crown freezing as it keeps the grass wet and chokes off air circulation - these are the main causes of winterkill in GTA climate.


Also, a mat of leaf litter also creates conditions for voles, they are happy tunneling through thatch and leaf blankets whet there is no snow.

Next time you ride by a winterized golf course, take note of how little leaf litter is visible.
 
Leaves, whether mulched or not, create a soggy mat when left in a lawn, it behaves like and contributes to lawn thatching. Thatching increases snow molding (white fuzz) and crown freezing as it keeps the grass wet and chokes off air circulation - these are the main causes of winterkill in GTA climate.


Also, a mat of leaf litter also creates conditions for voles, they are happy tunneling through thatch and leaf blankets whet there is no snow.

Next time you ride by a winterized golf course, take note of how little leaf litter is visible.
Leaf Blankets?

Pink or gray snow mold are not caused by 1/2" or less of pulverized leaf matter. In a residential environment these would usually be caused by not cutting the grass short on the final cut of the year, an excessive fall fertilization and coupled with high amounts of snow loads that are typically seen in areas beside driveways or walkways where snow piles are higher and last longer with more compression force on the already long blades of grass.

Thatch problems are created when lignin production within the plant tissues are not broken down fast enough or not removed quickly enough, thus creating a disproportionate amount of lignin. For those that don't know, for the most part, leaf matter does not contribute to thatch buildup, unless there are a lot of stems or woody tissues in the matter. And that said, a little bit of thatch is a good thing. More than 1/2 inch is generally not. So having less than 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter won't create a situation of excessive thatch buildup. If people want to reduce thatch, then yes, late spring or fall raking can help as well as choosing species that are lower in lignin production like fine fescues or most bunch grasses. A huge problem with thatch has less to do with winterkill, but more to do with the plants root systems inability to sustain itself in periods of high drought, because as you said, the crowns can get choked out and the root system starts to root itself into the thatch than in the soil profile.

Golf courses do not leave their leaves on the grass because they are trying to maintain a highly managed soil profile. A USGA soil profile for example has around 12" of straight sand in varying soil particle sizes. Local golf courses would still have a very high amount of sand and others might go with a native soil profile, but for the most part, they are all intensely managed. In the highly managed golf course environment, any prolonged leaf or organic matter will change the profile of the soil therefore significantly changing drainage and nutrient retention (among many other things), which they often want to have as much control over. The low organic matter (low micro-organism) content in the sandy soils reduces the thatch breakdown (because microscopic bugs break down thatch) and so golf courses will have excessive thatch problems as a result of this. High salts from fertilizers and low pH levels in soil profiles also have a great effect on this - it has next to nothing to do with 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter. Lastly, golf courses are often growing turf species which produce high amounts of lignin, which in turn produce high amounts of thatch - something most homeowners don't have to worry about too much.

A homeowner is best served by not comparing themselves to a golf course. And I've spent time evaluating golf courses, teaching different courses on turf management and working for many years on very highly managed turf environments.
 
Leaf Blankets?

Pink or gray snow mold are not caused by 1/2" or less of pulverized leaf matter. In a residential environment these would usually be caused by not cutting the grass short on the final cut of the year, an excessive fall fertilization and coupled with high amounts of snow loads that are typically seen in areas beside driveways or walkways where snow piles are higher and last longer with more compression force on the already long blades of grass.

Thatch problems are created when lignin production within the plant tissues are not broken down fast enough or not removed quickly enough, thus creating a disproportionate amount of lignin. For those that don't know, for the most part, leaf matter does not contribute to thatch buildup, unless there are a lot of stems or woody tissues in the matter. And that said, a little bit of thatch is a good thing. More than 1/2 inch is generally not. So having less than 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter won't create a situation of excessive thatch buildup. If people want to reduce thatch, then yes, late spring or fall raking can help as well as choosing species that are lower in lignin production like fine fescues or most bunch grasses. A huge problem with thatch has less to do with winterkill, but more to do with the plants root systems inability to sustain itself in periods of high drought, because as you said, the crowns can get choked out and the root system starts to root itself into the thatch than in the soil profile.

Golf courses do not leave their leaves on the grass because they are trying to maintain a highly managed soil profile. A USGA soil profile for example has around 12" of straight sand in varying soil particle sizes. Local golf courses would still have a very high amount of sand and others might go with a native soil profile, but for the most part, they are all intensely managed. In the highly managed golf course environment, any prolonged leaf or organic matter will change the profile of the soil therefore significantly changing drainage and nutrient retention (among many other things), which they often want to have as much control over. The low organic matter (low micro-organism) content in the sandy soils reduces the thatch breakdown (because microscopic bugs break down thatch) and so golf courses will have excessive thatch problems as a result of this. High salts from fertilizers and low pH levels in soil profiles also have a great effect on this - it has next to nothing to do with 1/2" of pulverized leaf matter. Lastly, golf courses are often growing turf species which produce high amounts of lignin, which in turn produce high amounts of thatch - something most homeowners don't have to worry about too much.

A homeowner is best served by not comparing themselves to a golf course. And I've spent time evaluating golf courses, teaching different courses on turf management and working for many years on very highly managed turf environments.
How about this. In the spring we can revisit. I'll post pics of my 60,000 sq' of surburban lawn that has been picked clean of fall leaf litter. Here's what things look like in June - see any winter kill, weeds or dead spots? We can check back next spring.
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I think you have missed the point. The original question was about what to do with excess leaf litter that won't fit into a compost bin. You can continue to do what works for you, and others will continue to do what works for them. That's the beauty of working in the yard, there are so many different approaches to getting it done.
Enjoy your lawn.
 
Gasoline and a match!

edit: sorry...thought you said “most fun way”

I put in a couple of metal rods and hooked up a 600 volt transformer. Didn't do much to get rid of the ants but the earthworms didn't like it. Mine was at the edge of the driveway so it was like a bomb shelter for the ants.
 
I build a large bin behind my greenhouse to store all the fallen leaves. I also covered my raised beds and walking paths with leaves. They're a great, free resource.
 
I think you have missed the point. The original question was about what to do with excess leaf litter that won't fit into a compost bin. You can continue to do what works for you, and others will continue to do what works for them. That's the beauty of working in the yard, there are so many different approaches to getting it done.
Enjoy your lawn.
Grind it up and put it on your garden. It insulates, great for most perennials, and in the spring worms devour leaf litter which helps the garden. It helps your perennial flowers, it works against your perennial grasses.
 

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