Leaves are free – free herbicide, free pesticide, free waterway protection and free compost.
You can't fight gravity. The leaves are going to fall - but that's a good thing. Leaves prevent soil erosion, add nutrients to soil and provide food and shelter for beneficial wildlife. Check out these tips to help you get the most out of your fallen leaves.
If leaves fall on bare soil, let them be
Let leaves lie where they fall on bare soil - no need to rake. Leaves keep soil from eroding in winter rains and wind, and protect our rivers and streams from runoff pollution. Leaf mulch also provides food and shelter for soil critters like ground beetles, millipedes and pill bugs. Those critters till the soil, eat pests and feed beneficial birds in need of winter food. Good bugs and birds are essential components of a healthy organic garden.
Rake leaves off the lawn and re-distribute
If your lawn is covered with leaves, don't kick them to the curb just yet. Mulch your garden beds first. Leaves smother weeds naturally, without herbicides. The leaves also act as free organic fertilizer by adding nutrients to the soil as they decompose, giving trees and other plants a healthy boost.
For summer garden beds, once the plants are cleared, cover your beds with a thick layer of leaves to help preserve soil structure, control weeds and feed the soil through winter. You can work what's left into the soil when you're ready to plant in the spring.
For perennial beds and soil around trees, mulch generously. Leaves make pretty mulch that you can leave alone once you've spread it out. But be sure to keep mulch away from the stems of the plants or tree trunks to help avoid fungal diseases.
Compost the leftovers
If you've mulched all your beds and you still have leaves left over, compost them into rich organic humus you can use later: Layer them in a compost bin with equal parts "green" plant waste, like veggie trimmings from your kitchen. Keep the mixture as moist as a rung out sponge. Wait three months to a year and when it looks like soil, you can use it on your garden.