mulching the leaves
この時期になると多少、やっかいになるのが枯れ葉。NYではmulchingという枯れ葉処理法が推奨されているそうです。
mulchは園芸ではおなじみの言葉のようで、「マルチング、根おおい」と呼ぶそうです（知らなかった！隣のアメリカ人の友人は知っていました..）。こうすることで、水分の蒸発を防ぎ土中の温度を一定に保ち根を保護できるそうです。勉強になりました。（UG）
Rake the Leaves? Some Towns Say Mow Them
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — They have been burned, blown into piles, raked into bags and generally scorned by homeowners everywhere. Fall leaves — so pretty on the trees, such a nuisance when they hit the ground — have long been a thing to be discarded. But now some suburban towns are asking residents to do something radical: Leave the leaves alone.
In the past few years, lawn signs have sprouted in this Hudson River village and across Westchester County, proclaiming the benefits of mulching the leaves in place, rather than raking them up and taking them away. The technique involves mowing the leaves with special mulching blades, which shred them into tiny bits. That allows them to quickly decompose and naturally feed lawns and shrubs.
