The Best Ways to Recycle Autumn Leaves in Your Landscaping

October 11, 2019

The Best Ways to Recycle Autumn Leaves in Your Landscaping

If you don’t like the idea of simply bagging up your autumn leaves and throwing them away, or mowing over them – know that there are actually other options.

Old, fallen leaves can actually be recycled – and in more ways than one. Here are some of the best ways to get rid of your autumn leaves in an eco-friendly way without leaving any waste behind.

Compost Leaves

One option for those of you who have a compost bin is to compost your leaves.

You can do this with both full leaves or those that have been shredded by your lawnmower. They are an excellent source of high-carbon material for the pile.

All you need to do to add these to your compost pile is to alternate the layers of leaves with other green materials that you typically add. For example, your grass clippings, scraps from fruits and vegetables, weeds, and dead plants.

Once you have the pile, let it sit over the winter. Turn or aerate the pile every once in a while, and by the time spring comes back around you will end up with finished compost.

Make Mulch

You can also make mulch out of your fallen autumn leaves.

There are actually many benefits to using leaves for mulch, including:

As the leaves decompose, they improve soil fertility, lessening the need for fertilizing.
Leaf mulch helps retain soil moisture.
This type of mulch suppresses weeds and can help reduce soil erosion.

The best way to get started with this is by shredding the leaves. The smaller they are, the quicker they will be able to break down, meaning that there is less of a chance that they will mat together and mold.

To use leaves as much, simply spread around 3 to 4 inches around your shrubs and trees, and around 2-3 inches for perennial beds. Adding leaves to your veggie garden provides it with valuable nutrients, and they are great for insulating rose bushes once late autumn comes around.