The turning colors of fall leaves as the seasons change is one of the most beautiful and celebrated parts of the year – until it’s time to rake and bag them up! Do you know the best way to dispose of the fall foliage once it hits the ground?
Leaf blowers are a quick and easy way to clear leaves from sidewalks, porches and driveways.
Unfortunately, a leaf blower is also noisy and energy inefficient. Instead, get out there with your rake – or hire someone, such as a teenager looking for after-school work or a landscaping crew – and make that giant leaf pile. Afterward, you have a few options to make the best use of your leaves.
One option is to make compost that will enrich the soil. You could leave the giant leaf pile to decompose, but that will be a pretty slow process. A better way is to mow the leaves with a mulching mower to shred them. Then reapply the leaves in a three-quarter inch deep layer to your lawn.
Or, add them to your compost pile if you have one started. You can find a home composting guide and more tips for disposing of leaves here.
You could also use the leaves as mulch to cover bare soil in vegetable gardens and flowerbeds. If you use the leaves near trees or shrubs, remember that you shouldn’t let the mulch touch the tree trunks or base of the shrubs because this practice encourages diseases in your plants and attracts nesting pests.
If you don’t want to mulch or use the leaves, consider bagging them to take to a municipal composting facility. Many cities offer a pick up service and have started to recycle the leaves for compost that can be used by the public. Check with your local government office to learn more about the service in your area and find dates, times and locations for pickup and drop off.
Or, you could always keep the giant piles around to jump into like you did when you were a kid. But then, you run the risk of having to rake again! But that might be worth the fall fun!