… In order to optimize your fallen leaves, some maintenance is
recommended. It’s best to run over a thin layer of leaves with a lawn
mover or cut them up via other means so that they will break down more
quickly. Thick layers of leaves are actually bad for the grass as well.
“If
you just leave the leaves on the grass, it will exclude light. And then
the grass won’t be able to photosynthesize. Eventually, it would die
under a thick layer of leaves,” Barton said.
Rake excess leaves into a landscape bed and it will turn into mulch. Shredded leaves can also be piled into a garden.
“Ideally,
you want to let them decompose a little bit and they’ll form a very
nice mulch. Instead of going out and buying hardwood bark mulch, which
is expensive, you can have a better mulch that’s free,” she said.
At the same time, city dwellers should be mindful that wind and rain
can push leaves into streets and clog up drainage systems — creating a
flooding hazard.
Some cities
actually collect leaves for composting at a central facility, where it
turns to mulch that residents can collect for free. On the other hand,
leaves in landfills that don’t have enough oxygen to decompose will end
up releasing a significant amount of methane. …
