This article was written by Jon Collins, Coles Couty Master Gardener.

Hold on! The grass growth may have stopped, but don't store that lawn mower just yet. That mower can be your best tool for leaf removal too.

Here is some advice from Purdue University Extension that will help you with fall leaf disposal.

"As the trees drop their leaves, it is important to prevent a heavy layer of leaves from building-up on your turf before winter. Heavy layers of tree leaves that shade the grass can smother and kill grass. Plus leaf cover favors a damaging winter turf disease called snow mold.

The easiest way to dispose of leaves is to simply mow then into the turf. Regular mowing during the fall will chop the leaves into small pieces and allow them to filter into the turf. Research at Purdue and other universities shows that tree leaves can be mulched without any detrimental effects on the soil or turf. Actually, just the opposite may be true where tree leaf mulching may help improve the soil. Mulching leaves with a mower is much easier than raking, blowing, and/or vacuuming the leaves like we have done in the past. Plus it disposes of the leaves without filling up our landfills and saves our cities thousands of dollars in disposal costs."

Good advice. Mulching can be achieved with any power mower, your mower doesn't have to be a mulching mower. Most mowers now come with a detachable cover for the discharge shoot that will help pulverize the leaves or the discharge shoot can be left uncovered to move partially chopped leaves to a mulched bed, garden, or compost pile.

While November is usually the month for leaf removal and clean up in the yard and garden, there is another task that may still be undertaken to enhance the performance of your turf. That task is a November application of fertilizer.

This is usually applied in the first few weeks of November but this time frame is not critical as noted in this posting from Purdue Turfgrass Extension Specialist, Zac Reicher.

"A November application of fertilizer is extremely important to keep your lawn healthy and looking good this fall and next year. Late fall N promotes good root development, enhances storage of energy reserves, and extends color retention this fall. Most of the benefits from late fall N will be seen next spring and summer with earlier green-up, improved density, and improved tolerance to diseases and other stresses. Apply near or after the last mowing of the year, but while grass is still green. Timing of this application is not overly critical because there may be a month or more between your last mowing and the time the grass turns brown or goes under snow cover. Generally the first few weeks of November are when to apply. Earlier Purdue research suggests that the N must be taken-up by the plant before winter to be most effective in areas where the turf goes dormant during the winter. Therefore, a soluble N source such as urea, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate is most effective and apply 1.0 to 1.25 lbs. N/1000 sq. ft."

There is one final November activity that I always advocate. Purchase a live Christmas tree this year. Not a cut tree, but a balled and burlapped tree that can be planted outside after you are done using it inside. This is a family tradition that my wife and I started when our three boys were quite small. Now our visiting grandsons are able to play under the shade of some of those original trees even as the tradition continues. Should you like to try, here are some guidelines from the extension service that will help you succeed.

* White pine, blue or Norway spruce, and Douglas fir are all good choices for a live Christmas tree. These can be purchased at most area nurseries or check the special newspaper guide for local Christmas tree farms offering them.

Purchase your tree early, supplies are often limited, and store in a protected area such as an unheated garage until ready to bring inside.

*A hole to plant the tree should be dug as soon as possible before the ground freezes. The soil should be kept from freezing, either covering it with mulch or moving it into a warm location, such as a heated garage.

* Live trees should not be brought indoors for more than three (3) days.

*Indoors, keep trees cool and away from heat sources such as fireplaces and registers. Use only cool lights.

*As soon as Christmas is over, move the tree to an unheated garage or building to allow it to acclimatize to outside temperatures for a few days before planting out.

*When planting, backfill with the reserved soil and water the tree in with warm water. Do not fertilize at planting time.

Even though I don't follow the recommendations to the letter, I have still had few failures in the more than 20 years I have done this.

My most flagrant violation of the recommendations involves keeping the tree inside much longer than advised. I bring our tree inside about a week before Christmas and the decorations stay on through New Years day (about a 2 week period). But I'm sure the low temperature setting we normally maintain inside our home has something to do with keeping the tree from breaking dormancy.

I also don't dig the hole in advance. I tried it once. I put the wheel barrow of excavated soil into my unheated garage where it immediately froze solid. Try backfilling a planting hole with one giant, frozen dirt clod. Now, I simply pile the planting site high with leaves. This keeps the soil from freezing and enables me to dig the hole precisely when I'm ready to plant the tree.

Charles Dudley Warner encourages us to keep gardening with these few words.

There is life in the ground; It goes into the seed; and it goes also into the man who stirs it.

If you have any horticulture questions, the Extension Master Gardeners are now in the office on Monday from 2 to 4 p.m.

This column is based on information and materials available at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: http://coles.extension.uiuc.edu/.