To rake or not to rake this time of year? That is the question. Living in the Midwest means that the changing seasons bring about changing chores. This hour on Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe talks with Iowa State University horticulturists Linda Naeve and Richard Jauron.
If you do rake your leaves, you need to decide what to do with them. Jauron says that instead of disposing of them, try using them as mulch.
"If you bag them with a mulching mower, you can save them for next year and use them as a mulch."
You can also use leaves as compost.
"Composting is a great way to get rid of a lot of leaves, but leaves take up a lot of space... if you chop them up you can use them as compost. The smaller the particle, the faster the mulching process," Naive says. "You want a blend of what we call the carbon and the nitrogen. The carbon is dry leaves, saw dust things like that... the green things are the nitrogen, grass clippings and some kitchen scraps such as banana peels and old lettuce."
Jauron and Naeve also answer listener questions.