Decay of autumn a sign of nature’s sensible plan

There’s something about autumn – a primal instinct, perhaps – that draws some of us into the woods. Hiking woodland trails – or maybe even creating one – is something that seems best suited to autumn. Cool air and bright days offer the perfect combination for pleasant outdoor work.

Clearing a walking trail through the forest may at first seem a bit daunting. When one looks into the woods, one sees that there is really no such thing as a “pristine” or “untouched” forest. Untouched by humans, in some cases, but never untouched by the power of nature.

Trees fallen from age or as a result of rampant wind are scattered like toothpicks here and there. Lifeless branches, long desiccated from receiving inadequate light through the canopy above, protrude from the lower trunk of tress. A vast and unruly supply of seedling trees crops up wherever sunlight is permitted to the forest floor.

It may not be neat and tidy in the woods and although it’s not visually “perfect,” nature’s plan makes a whole lot of sense. All of the debris falling to the forest floor decomposes, yielding, over time, a rich, reddish-black layer of organic material that would make any gardener coo. This nutrient-rich layer feeds the plant material there, from the smallest seedlings, to the scrubby undergrowth, to the tallest trees.

If you have access to a woodland area, try this: Clear a path. You’ll see clearing away the debris is not unlike weeding a garden. Make piles of twigs and branches to the left. Pile potential firewood over on the right. Eliminate what you don’t want or need. Cultivate and maintain what you need or like. Yank and tug at fallen, half-composted logs. Move them off your pathway and you’ll find this gorgeous, fertile, debris hidden underneath. It’s spongy underfoot. Take some of the splintered detritus into your hand and savor it with your eyes and fingertips.

As gardeners, we can learn a lot from the forest and the methods nature undertakes to feed itself. The forest life – all its organisms from the lowliest bacteria to the vertebrates, to the various plant materials – all play a part in keeping the forest fertile. If we’re willing to do the work, the forest – even individual trees in our yard – can be the source of materials for our garden.

In autumn, fallen leaves from trees can be incorporated into the compost pile. Combined with an adequate amount of fresh manure, soil and grass clippings, the leaves become deep brown, fertile compost over time. Leaves of deciduous trees, whole, composted or shredded, add valuable organic matter to the garden beds. Pine needles are easily raked and layered onto pathways throughout the garden.

Among the forest life forms are many different kinds of mosses. Easily spotted on rocky outcroppings and along the mounds of fallen and well decomposed trees, mosses of all sort thrive. Brilliant green and dull gray mosses grow alongside each other. These mosses live and die, contributing to the rich layer of organic material that feeds the stand of plants growing in the woods.

Out in the open areas of bogs, another type of moss grows. Particularly in northern zones throughout the world, moss grows in bogs and marshy “peatlands.” The harvesting of this moss is crucial to the ornamental horticulture industry, as it supplies growers with tons of growing media throughout the year.

The term “peat” has come to describe vegetation – mostly mosses, but on occasion, additional plant materials – that have undergone decay in the acid water of bogs. The formation of peat is actually the first step in the transformation of vegetation into coal. In the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Russia and the Scandinavian countries, peat is harvested commercially and dried. Where many of us in Maine use produce from the forest to fuel our winter fires, in some regions of the world, particularly in Ireland, peat is often compressed into briquettes and burned in homes to generate necessary heat.

For the garden and horticultural and agricultural trades, peat is also formulated into growing media, as it has soil-improving qualities and the ability to hold moisture within the soil profile. In trade, sphagnum moss is most often referred to as peat moss.

Autumn is as good a time as any to incorporate into the garden soil leaf litter, peat moss or even a bit of material scraped for the forest floor. This rich organic material will offer long-lasting improvement to the quality of the garden, and will likely help yield visual and fruitful dividends for years to come.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941 or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.