I'm staring at my overgrown garden and it's time for a serious cleanup. In the past, I've just bagged up old plants a little at a time, but this season I'm planning a full overhaul. I live in a suburban area with a small yard, and while I do have a compost bin, it seems inadequate for all the waste from my six garden beds. I want to avoid the $50 brush pickup fee if possible. So, how do you usually get rid of your old plants?
5 Answers
I often compost in place or create a burn pile depending on the type of waste. If it’s something that composts well, I’ll just chop it and drop it right where it is!
I usually mow it and till it under, or I feed it to my animals if they can eat it and benefit. For anything diseased, I prefer to burn it away. If there’s no option left, I take it into the woods to let nature handle it.
I usually compost all my garden waste. If my bins are full, I’ll chop everything up and leave it on the beds under brand new leaf mulch. It’s like a mini lasagna garden, increasing organic matter without much hassle!
Someone else suggested just leaving it to decompose too. I can try that!
I go for a wood chipper if things get out of hand. It really reduces the volume quickly and helps break things down faster. Definitely a solid investment if you have a lot of yard waste!
Do you use a gas or electric chipper? And do you own it or rent for a day or two?
Honestly, I just let it rot in place. Without winter here, it decomposes year-round, and sometimes I’ll mow over it to speed things up. It turns into dirt naturally, so not much worries!
Interesting. How long does it take to rot? If I leave it now, would I be able to plant in my beds come spring?
Burning might work if I can get away with it. Thanks!