Green Gardening: Autumn Leaves

Before you whisk away your autumn leaves with a garden rake or leaf blower, consider these green living tips for using them around your yard.

Mulch- Leaves make a great environmentally-friendly mulch for nourishing flower beds and even the lawn.  Although you shouldn’t leave them whole, simply running over your leaves with a lawn mower will chop them up enough to create a leaf mulch for spreading around plants and dispersing around the yard. It’s important to chop the leaves to provide for air circulation when placed around your plants.

Compost- Autumn leaves make an excellent addition to your compost bin.  Toss them in with grass clippings and they’ll break down into a nutritious mix for your garden soil.

Important Note about Leaf Burning: Although it once was a common practice across the US, burning leaves is now considered a health hazard due to the toxins  (including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde) released. Read more about the dangers of burning leaves from the Environmental Protection Agency.

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