Everyone can harvest the gold

September 1, 3:14 PMSoutheast MI Home & Living ExaminerJackie DiGiovanni

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Photo courtesy of hereandthere.org

September means the days are getting shorter; the leaves will soon turn to vibrant colors, and then fall to the ground. September means the start of leaf raking season. For gardeners, September means leaf mold. Leaf mold is the composted result of leaf mulch. You "manufacture" leaf mold by shredding leaves and letting them sit in piles or in compost bins. 

1. We could rake them up and bag them for pick up.
2. We could run the lawn mower over them and shred them into nutrient-rich food for the lawn.
3. We could mow them into the bagger and then empty the bagger into a pile that sits until spring. 

• Use a rotary mower.
• Mow when the leaves are dry.
• Make three or four passes over each area to grind the leaves into a fine mix.
• Mow every three or four days. 

• Install the bagger attachment on the mower.
• Mow through the leaves until the bag is full, and then empty it into a lawn cart/wheelbarrow.
• When the lawn cart is full, push it into the back yard, and empty it in piles along the back fence.
• In the spring, fill the lawn cart with the leaf mold from along the back fence and use it to amend the flower gardens.

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