The autumn leaves were lovely this year, and made our local hill sides look like art. Now those colorful leaves can be found coating the ground, including our lawns. This brings up the question of, what to do with all those leaves?
There are many options if you would like to dispose of leaves in an environmentally friendly and healthy manner. Here are some ideas:
- If you can, simply let the leaves stay where they fall. This leaf litter will break down quickly and many organisms use this ecosystem to live in during the cold winter months.
- Mulch the leaves using your lawn mower. The leaves will break down more quickly providing fertilizer to your yard after they are chopped up.
- Rake the leaves and compost them. You can add the leaves to an existing compost pile, or make a leaf compost pile separately. Leaves break down quickly and will make great fertilizer for your garden or yard in the spring.
- Use them as mulch around plants. Leaves provide some protection to plants in cold weather, and as they break down they add nutrients to the soil.
- Some municipalities offer leave composting or collection. Check with your township to see if these services are offered where you live.
So enjoy the fall weather, jump in a pile of leaves, and then dispose of those leaves in an environmentally friendly way!