Fall Thoughts
With Fall comes welcome cooler air, needed rain, a pallet of new colors in the trees and in our gardens, and some choices for our yards. In our community we have many acres of grass to care for and our lawns will soon have leaves all over them.
The grass isn’t always greener …
Reduce or eliminate lawn fertilizers and use non-toxic alternatives to control weeds. Nutrients from lawn fertilizers and weed control products flow into the river causing dense growth of algae that threatens aquatic life and can pose human health risks. Here are some best practices for maintaining your lawn. https://aawsa.org/blog-posts/fertilizer
Why Leave the Leaves?
- Water Protection: Piling leaves or washing them into streets creates dead zones and pollution in local creeks and rivers when stormwater carries excess nutrients away.
- Wildlife Habitat: Insects, birds, and small mammals rely on leaf litter for food, shelter, and overwintering sites.
- Natural Fertilizer: Leaving or mulching leaves adds organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus back into the earth, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
- Weed Control: A layer of shredded leaves or mulch suppresses weed growth and locks in soil moisture.
Best Practices for Your Yard
- Clear Hard Surfaces: Rake leaves off streets, sidewalks, and driveways so they do not clog storm drains or cause slippery walking hazards.
- Mulch the Lawn: Run a mulching mower right over thin layers of leaves on your grass to chop them into fine pieces that decompose quickly into the turf canopy.
- Move to Beds: Rake excess or thick leaves out of heavy turf areas and pile them into garden beds, around tree bases, or in quiet corners of the yard as natural mulch.
