We’re well into autumn now here in Rochester, so trees have begun the process of dropping all of their colorful leaves before winter begins. For anyone with a yard, this poses the question of what to do with all of these leaves covering the ground? Many people will simply rake and bag them up for a city or town service to take, but you can actually keep your leaves and put them to good use for your yard.
Mowing
The easiest way to sustainably use your fallen leaves is to mow over them with a mulching mower so the shredded leaf pieces get distributed into the grass without totally smothering it. The pieces will decompose and release nutrients into the soil. Leaves are rich in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Mulching
Another simple solution is to use leaves as mulch. You can spread them around shrubs, trees, or in a vegetable garden. You can also grind them up to help them stay put if it gets windy. Mulch helps moderate soil temperature, decreases erosion and evaporation, reduces weeds, and will provide nutrients to the soil and plant roots as the leaves decompose.
Composting
The more complex option is to use leaves in a compost container. First you need to shred the leaves to help keep the compost aerated, add green elements to complement the browns (leaves), and remember to turn your compost to keep it ventilated. Check out our article from last year for more details on this method.
The City of Rochester collects leaves every November and turns them into compost for residents to pick up for free at the Materials Giveback Center. They also give out other items such as woodchips from chopped up Christmas trees and other scrap wood and brush.
Check to see if your town or city’s leaf collection program is using leaves in a sustainable way, such as composting them, or is sending them to decompose in a landfill, which doesn’t create any new positive uses.
Written by Sarah Woodams Class of ‘24(T5)
Photo by Sarah Woodams Class of ‘24(T5)