10/20/10 DON'T BE A NEATNIK!

A BLUSTERY MORNNG
LET FALLEN LEAVES COLLECT AROUND PLANTNGS
BIRCH TREES NEED THEIR ROOTS KEPT COOL AND MOIST

Wednesday, 6:45 AM. It is still pitch dark. 48 degrees, wind W, blustery. The sky is mostly cloudy, the barometer again predicts rain, but the humidity is only 33%. The last significant rainfall was .25” on September 25. We are n a considerable drought again and it is a good thing most plants have gone dormant. Now is the time to water evergreens and new plantings if we do not get significant rainfall within a few days.
I mulched the fallen leaves in the yard yesterday with the lawn mower. As dry as they were they disintegrated nicely. I may have to run the mower over the yard once more before freeze-up but little raking, much less hauling or bagging, will be necessary. Trees and shrubs are also mulched in the process as the leaves collect around them, conserving moisture and preventing frost heaving during the winter. Being overly neat in fall leaf and garden cleanup is not a good thing and is certainly unnecessary work. It is easy to do a little additional raking in the spring.