Hey earth muffins! One of my favorite parts of the fall season are the changing colors. After they are done showing off their bright reds, oranges, and yellows, they cover your yard once they fall off the trees. Leaf piles are a common site to see this season… After you have jumped in them, what is the most sustainable way to get rid of your leaves? Here are my top recommendations on what to do with leaves once they fall off the trees! 🍂
1. Add them into your compost bin!
If you have any sort of backyard compost bin, you might be able to add them into the mix. Fallen leaves are a great “brown material”. Most backyard compost bins require you to have a mix of green and brown materials, which makes it a great option for turning all the leaves in your yard into great soil for planting in the spring. If you have any other type of compost bin (vermicompost, etc.), you might not be able to put every leaf in there… Do some research and make sure to have the correct balance of organic materials for your composting.
2. Leave them out for your city to pick up.
Many municipalities have some sort of leaf pick up during the fall. In my city, you have to place the leaves into a certain bin that is picked up on a specific date. Then, they put all the leaves into a huge composting system! This is a great option for anyone who doesn’t have a compost bin at home. Plus, it keeps the leaves out of city water systems (as they can be a huge pain when they clog up drains). Check to see if your city has a leaf pickup program and follow their rules to ensure all your leaves get picked up.
3. Create some “lawn mulch”
For those with small yards or only a couple of trees that drop leaves, this is a great option. Simply cut your grass per usual. Your lawn mower will chop up the leaves into small pieces that will nourish your grass throughout the winter! If you notice that the pieces are still pretty big, you can run them over a couple more times with the mower. This prevents you from having to rake them into piles/scoop them into pickup bins as well.
4. Do nothing!
The last option is to just let your leaves stay put wherever they fall. It is nature’s way to have them change colors and fall to the ground; let it do it’s thing and don’t touch them! Snow is coming soon, so allow the leaves to break down naturally.
Conclusion
There are plenty of sustainable ways to take care of your leaves in the fall. You can decide to do nothing or to have your city pick them up. Or, put them into your backyard compost bin or chop them up into lawn mulch. What do you typically do with your leaves in the fall? Comment below and don’t forget to jump in the leaf piles before you do any of these leaf removal methods! 😊
Love,
Jenna ♥
