What to do with all those leaves?

Every fall, you feel like you rake up enough leaves to fill a dump truck. You can't stand the thought of bagging them for the landfill, so you toss them into a pile at the far edge of your lot. The pile is starting to get out of control, though, and you'd like to find a new use for your leaves. Lucky for you, there are several alternatives.

If you've got a large pile of leaves to dispose of, don't throw them away. Try these methods instead:

Add them to the lawn

Spread the leaves all over your lawn and run a mulching mower over them. The mower will mulch the leaves and eliminate the need to rake them in the future. Regular grasscycling in the spring and summer will result in a healthier lawn over time.

Add them to the garden

Shred the leaves by running a lawn mower over them or vacuuming them off the ground with a lawn vacuum/leaf shredder or leaf blower/leaf sucker. Then toss the shredded leaves into the garden and work them into the top six inches of soil. Before long, the leaves will decompose and the garden soil will become richer.

Add them to the compost

pile

Shred the leaves in the same way that you would do for a garden and then dump them into your compost pile. Add a cup or two of blood or cottonseed meal and some water, and let nature take its course. If you don't have a compost pile, this may be the perfect opportunity for you to create one.

When used properly, leaves can do wonders for any lawn and garden. Not only do they make excellent fertilizer and mulch, but they also decompose into great organic matter and serve as good food for earthworms. With leaves having so many benefits, it seems a shame to waste them.