Here are some quick suggestions for using fall leaves that are good for the environment, plus save you time and money Please share with us any environmentally friendly suggestions for fall leaves in the comment section. Thank you. – Denise Sandoval, [email protected]
- Compost your leaves. Chop them up first to speed up decomposition. Leaf mold (composted leaves) makes wonderful mulch, vegetable garden amendment, and has several uses in organic lawn care.
- Let fallen leaves (and fallen twigs) remain around plants in a native savanna or woodland garden. This is the way nature mulches. You can also shred leaves by passing a mower over a leaf pile several times and spread the chopped leaves as mulch. Shredding speeds decomposition and reduces leaves from blowing away. If you still like the look of mulch, spread a very thin layer of mulch on top .Mulching with leaves not only saves you money on wood mulch but also:
- Provides nesting material for many types of birds, especially in early spring.
- Provides shelter for small animals and insects, especially over the winter.
- Provides food for many types of insects.
- Adds organic matter to the soil, retains moisture and reduces weeds.
- Fallen leaves around Jacob’s Ladder
- Chop up a light layer of fallen leaves with your lawn mower several times and leave in place to enrich your lawn. This is recommended by several organic lawn care websites and now by some commercial lawn care companies.
- Use leaves to smother areas of lawn by piling them 2-3′ deep over layers of newspaper and enclosing with chicken wire fencing to prevent leaves from blowing away. I used this method to create my vegetable garden in an area that was once lawn.
- Use colorful fall leaves in floral arrangements and other crafty projects.
- Have some fun! Toss the leaves around, enjoy the sound of walking through the leaves, and make piles to jump into.
