Beautiful autumn leaves are falling on lawns all over the U.S., and experts have one plea for households looking to get rid of them: don’t leave them in bags.
That’s because bagged-up leaves are likely headed to landfills, where they can take up space for years. In 2018 alone, 10.5 million tons of yard trimmings ended up in landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The biggest concerns with landfills is that the leaves occupy space that would be much better served for typical landfill debris, instead of organic waste that can be used in a proactive way for the lawn, landscape, garden, and/or flower beds,” said Virginia Tech turfgrass expert Mike Goatley.
An NPR report from this week explained that fallen leaves are full of nutrients that can help lawns. While thick layers of leaves can harm grass by blocking sunlight it needs for photosynthesis, leaf mulch has a number of benefits.
“You get a faster green up of your grass next spring while using less fertilizer,” said Michigan State University. “The small decomposing leaf pieces provide nutrients to your lawn over the winter for quicker greening in the spring.”
Using those leaves on lawns can also help reduce weed growth, since they can cover bare and thin spots where weeds often germinate.
“Ideally, you want to let them decompose a little bit and they’ll form a very nice mulch,” Susan Barton, a professor and extension specialist in landscape horticulture at the University of Delaware, told NPR. “Instead of going out and buying hardwood bark mulch, which is expensive, you can have a better mulch that’s free.”
Michigan State University offered some tips for turning leaves into nutrients for lawns. It said to start mowing and shredding as soon as leaves form a thin layer. Mowers should be turned up to their highest setting at first and lawns can be mowed as usual. Then, the leaves should be moved once again in the opposite direction “making a criss-cross or 90-degree pattern.”
Leaf residue should be left on the lawn, where it will continue to break down.
“After several years of leaf mulching, the process may almost completely eliminate dandelions and crab grass,” said the university. If there is more than a thin layer of leaves, they can be placed around flower beds, trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens, where they will break down over winter.
According to MSU, lawns will look better and households will save money. Barton also told NPR that leaf mulching is a great example of an easy way to practice sustainability at home.