LEAVE THE LEAVES & STEMS
Mulch-mow lawns, rake the rest into gardens
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Before you rake leaves—did you know those leaves contain essential nutrients to feed the micro-organisms in your soil? Micro-organisms make soil healthier and plants and trees grow stronger. Leave decaying leaves and they become organic fertilizer for your lawn.
Leaves also serve as habitat for overwintering insects and wildlife. These living creatures help keep pests down and increase pollination in the months ahead.
"To encourage biodiversity in your yard and help insect populations, which are in serious decline, leave leaves wherever possible. Mulch mow the leaves on the lawn to avoid smothering the lawn, but leave leaves as they fall in perennial beds, under tree canopies, around shrubs, and on ground cover, like pachysandra." HealthyYards.org.
With light mulch mowing and raking you won't need to use a leaf blower at all. Leaf blowers, especially the 2-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers used by lawn care services cause serious diesel and particulate matter pollution. Furthermore blowing leaves strips the soil of insects and micro-organisms needed for healthy yards.
The horrific environmental and health impacts of gas-powered leaf blowers are many: they use outdated technology that is off-limits to cars and boats. 60 percent of its fuel is burned, "the rest is spewed into the atmosphere." Engineers determined that "driving a Ford F-150 Raptor truck from Texas to Alaska would emit the same amount of air pollution as a mere half-hour of yard work with a two-stroke, gas-powered leaf blower." The pollutants they emit contribute to heart and lung disease and other respiratory problems. They also "generate a roar at 100 decibels...the same noise level as a passenger jet taking off." Resource: The Regulatory Review
Leave full stemmed plants like coneflower and goldenrod for birds who will eat their seeds. Some bees will nest in the hollowed stalks of plants, so leave flower stems, too.
For more fall gardening tips read Five Simple Ways to Create Habitat this Fall from the National Wildlife Federation.
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NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES
Porcelain Berry
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Photo Credit: Virginia Native Plant Society, https://vnps.org/unwanted-unloved-porcelain-berry
Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) is a vigorous climbing vine that resembles native grape vines. It can easily smother entire trees and shrubs in a season, blocking light, not allowing photosynthesis to take place, and eventually killing them. Porcelain berry is spread by prolific growth and seeds eaten by birds.
Cut and pull this invasive vine before it flowers and produces berries. Hand pull vines in the fall or spring trying to get as much of the root system out as possible. For large, established vines make two cuts, one near the base and the other about 2-3 feet off the ground. The vine will die and disintegrate on its own. Never pull the vine down from the tree because you risk pulling a dead branch down with it. It may take several years for the porcelain berry to completely die. Do not compost. Throw away in the trash.
Native alternatives: American Wisteria, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Virginia Creeper.
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PLANT, PRUNE, SAVE A TREE
Learn how to become an arborist
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Do you want to learn how to become a licensed arborist? The Bartlett Arboretum is offering an introductory course for a career in arboriculture. The class will prepare you for the Connecticut Arborist Exam. The program will be offered evenings, January 10 through April 3, 2024. Learn more.
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BEE CONNECTED
Join Pollinator Pathway Stamford and add your property to the map.
Take the pledge to help bees and other pollinators.
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