If you're a gardener -- don't throw out those leaves littering your lawn!
Seed STL is a 42-year-old local nonprofit that provides support and guidance to community gardens and farms. Dean Gunderson, Chief Programs Officer with Seed STL, has advice for local gardeners on how to utilize fallen leaves.
"They can be used directly as mulch, really anywhere you want mulch," he said. "They work really well for protecting the soil, adding nutrients, conserving moisture -- as well as providing overwintering habit for a lot of our native insects."
Beyond mulch, Gunderson said dead leaves are helpful additions to compost, since they're high in carbon. Plus, he gave one more tip.
"If you have a lot of them, you can just pile them up and over the course of a year they will compost and produce a really fungly, rich compost called leaf mold that is also good as an amendment to any soil," Gunderson said.
Gunderson reminds plant lovers not to forget about their gardens this fall.
"Our winters are increasingly having dry spells," he said. "So, if you have things that are growing over the winter, especially in your vegetable garden, it's important that you continue to water them, [even] when it's 75-degrees and hasn't rained in a week."
Listen to the podcast above to learn more.
