In our post, To Rake or Not to Rake, we discussed whether leaf removal was necessary and the different methods you could use. But once you’ve removed leaves from your lawn and collected them in a pile, what should you do with them? Well, there are several options. As mentioned in our previous post, using a mulching lawnmower is the most ideal way. The mulching mower removes excess leaves and returns them shredded to the grass as fertilizer. Mulching benefits your lawn, the environment, and you because there’s no additional work.
Regular Lawnmower
But, if a mulching lawnmower is not available, you have a few other options. A regular mower can be used although, it will require a few extra steps to break down the leaves. Several passes over the leaves with the mower may be necessary to break them down sufficiently. Eventually, though, you can achieve similar results.
Redistribute Leaves To Beds
Re-distributing collected leaves to tree and garden beds is another option. The best way to do this is to use a regular lawnmower with a bag catcher to mow over fallen leaves. The bag catcher will capture the leaves for you to redistribute to other areas.
Raking is another way to redistribute leaves into tree and garden beds, although it is not the best method. Raking is a less favorable option for the reasons mentioned in our previous post but also because it’s a good idea to cut up leaves before transplanting them, if possible. Shredding the leaves helps them decompose faster and prevents large leaf piles from matting the soil. The extra leaves should be spread around the base of the plant and worked into the bed, where they will break down slowly. The added leaves will provide natural fertilizer to the soil while suppressing weeds.
Composting
Adding extra leaves to a compost pile is another good use of fallen leaves. Composting is a natural process where organic matter breaks down to create nutrients to improve the soil. Leaves are a beneficial added component to a compost mixture that helps plants grow and thrive.
There are two disposal options you should avoid. One method is bagging leaves in plastic bags and sending them to landfills. Bagged leaves fill up landfills and form methane gas when they decompose, which is problematic for the environment. If you have to bag leaves, use biodegradable bags and send them to a recycling center, if possible. The other method is burning leaves. Never burn leaves because they release toxic particles in the air that can cause respiratory issues, cancer, or other health conditions.